The main thing I’m looking for (apart from when the transition started and would have been complete by) is whether GMO locos were patched to ICG.
Any sources and/or pics would be a great help. Thanks [8D]
The main thing I’m looking for (apart from when the transition started and would have been complete by) is whether GMO locos were patched to ICG.
Any sources and/or pics would be a great help. Thanks [8D]
As you probably already know, the merger took place in 1972.
I found one website with post-merger (through the 1970s and beyond) pics of GM&O power and not one locomotive is patched over. That doesn’t prove that it didn’t happen, but at least that one collector didn’t show any shots of it–maybe the new ICG waited to change markings (and numbers) until it was time to repaint the entire locomotive.
My reccollection is that engines were painted conpletely to the ICG paint scheme as rebuilt. I don,t recall any patch jobs but never say never.
i worked right next door to that outfit when the “merger” happened and we were over there a couple of times each day and they came to us about as often and now that you mention it, i never saw any of their power that had the road name altered unless it got a complete new paint job.
that does not mean that it did not happen somewhere else but i never saw any examples.
even though the GM&O had some trackage rights on the IC south of Cairo, i always thought they were regarded as something of a pest and the IC bought them just to get rid of them. with the exception of some of the newer 6 axle units they used on coal trains, most of their power looked like junk to me. they were still switching at Venice Illinois with alcos so old they had wooden cab interiors.
i think that what little was worth saving got hustled off to Paducah right away and rebuilt.
of course, by that time, the IC itself was having an identity crisis and trying out every paint scheme they could think off. unfortunately, their own power was filthy and rusting away. poor old Wayne Johnston must have been spinning in his grave
it always seemed strange to me how many railroads merged for financial reasons and then wasted jillions of dollars repainting everything unnecessarily and stencilling cars with corny slogans. sort of like the de-nazification of germany after 1945.
grizlump
Thanks for the very helpful replies. [tup] They have sorted that one for me.
Of course the next question is how do I get the hang of when locos were white/orange and when they were grey/orange… please?
Thanks
[:P]
I had moved away from Illinois by the time of the merger, but my father was still employed by the ICG at that time so I did get back into that area some. The attached photo from Wallace Yard in Freeport, Illinois would suggest that you can happily run GM&O paint at least up to April, 1977.
Bill
there is an ICG and GM&O historical society that can probably be of more then we can. You may wish to look into membership.
I have some photos of GM&O engines on the ICG that I took at Benton, Illinois around 1985/86.
Here’s a photo (not mine) I found on railpictures.net
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=277358
I’d have to dig mine out, but I think some of the ones that I saw were in a bit better shape, paint wise.
Jeff
thanks for the louisville photo. it speaks volumes
. a great picture of a bunch of junk. it re-affirms my staying away from modeling anything after the mid 60’s. if forum readers will take time to study that picture they will see just how far downhill the IC had gone by then, every piece of equipment looks like something out of the ghetto. the derail has no blue flag. there is hardly a cross tie in sight. (serious modelers take note) how about the low joint in the rail next to the orange bin? oil everywhere. it would give the EPA guys a seizure today.
i think there was a serious management gap between Wayne Johnston and Hunter Harrison even if the latter was a Canadian mole. he really wasn’t a bad guy, he was a great friend to the ICHS and took pride in keeping the property ship shape. i knew him when he was oiling journals on the Frisco in Memphis
. looks like the bean counters were in control from about 68 up into the 90’s. this picture shows the results. i was playing around on the PC/CR back then and our equipment and physical plant were truly sources of shame for a while. kind of like the IC except there were no beans to count. oh well, if you sell off enough of your railroad then the income vs assets figure starts to improve. (creative accounting 101)
grizlump
Thanks for more great and helpful replies. [tup]
That “dropped joint” looks mor like a plain hole!
At Wimbledon Park we had all four wheels of a motor truck on an EMU sink into/through the rails near the train washer. It turned out that acid in the wash solution had not been neutralised or drained off properly and had corroded the rails. They had to lift the unit to get it free. I think I may still have pics of the damaged rail somewhere.
Thanks again [^]