I know that a RR can keep using old reporting marks, but I was surprised to see a car that survived the Conrail repainting campaigns 38 years after the company folded.
KL
Was the car completely un-repainted? For a time CSX used NYC markings on it’s cars aquired from Conrail.
Nick
I’d be surprised to see a REAL unpainted NYC car too. Conrail went on a painting spree in the 1980s to eliminate all of the old paint schemes. It’s been ten years at least since I’ve seen an EL or Reading car on the rails, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a “real” NYC or Pennsy car. The car’s got to be approaching its 40-year life span.
However, I’m not saying that they don’t exist. Last summer, I saw a GM&O covered hopper sitting next to a N&W covered hopper, so anything’s possible!
Unfortunately I could only see the top third of the car, and it was gray. . . The NYC was in a rather plain stencil at the top center - not a cigar band herald or in typical NYC font - so I’d say it was completely repainted. If it’s what you describe it may not be that remarkable then. The car was a small LO with round roof hatches, leading me to think it was an early type. I’ll see if I can get the car number off it.
KL
Within the last 3 to 5 years I saw EL and RDG hoppers running across the river from McKeesport, PA. (Union RR?) I wasn’t into trains then, but I remembered it because I thought those lines were long gone.
There is a dead siding off the NS near here that has hoppers on it:
RDG 483913
EL 33821
EL 33494
EL 33431
CR 422888
EL 33569
EL 33341
EL 33645
EL 33777
plus two NS ballast hoppers, 994866 and 994250. There are markings on the RDG car that indicates that it was in Hubbard, OH in 2005.
KL
About 5 years ago I saw an old Pennsy boxcar. Loaded with rust and on a siding over grown with weeds. It looked like it had been forgotten. I need to start carrying my digital camera so I can take pictures.
Enjoy
Paul
Yes, CSX has been using “NYC” on those inherited cars. However, I’m amazed that from time to time I have seen PENN CENTRAL cars in revenue service, usually loaded with graffitti. I"m assuming that if they’ve not been painted or rebuilt that it’s likely that they’ll be scrapped sooner or later. CSX’s freight car fleet is so large that cars slated for scrapping 5 years ago are still waiting for the torch.
So if you have a camera and go railfanning regularly be prepared to use it as the ranks of those northeastern paint schemes are thinning quickly.
Interesting that there are still a lot of SP, C&NW, and Rio Grande cars running around. The plus side is that many of them appear to be in good shape.
Any thing is possible i have seen penn central box and grain cars through here even B&O gons unpacthed or touched by any paint. just very rusty old gons. Its good to see old stuff in a new age.