How much RF&P equipment is still actively roaming US rails? How much of this said equipment is in the ol RF&P Blue?
I mean Rolling Stock and Locomotives.
No active locomotives wear those colors.
I’m not aware of the specific status of any of their fleet, but logic suggests that the GP40-2’s and SW1500’s are still out there in active service for CSX or someone else barring any retirements due to accidents. There’s a good chance their GP40’s are still active for someone (Possibly rebuilt with Dash 2 or 3 electronics and possibly deturboed) or rebuilt as road slugs for CSX. And the best chance for their GP35’s are if they were part of the CSX road slug program, if not, they’re likely gone since relatively few GP35’s are still around outside of CSX’s slugs and many ATSF/BN examples that were rebuilt.
Very questionable are their SW1200’s and GP7’s or their Alco switchers.
Edit: Have you seen this? It’s a few years out of date, but gives you an idea of what made it to at least the early 2000’s. Besides perhaps among the Alco’s and the SW1200’s, I doubt there has been more than perhaps 1 loss out of this.
I shot this ex-RFP hopper about 5 1/2 years ago. Part of the original RFP logo is visible under the CSX patch:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=csxt256538&o=csxt
To my knowledge, and I could be VERY wrong, (we need RF&P John to sound off on this) the old RF&P diesels are still in use, that is the ones with ATS. ATS (Automatic Train Stop) was in use on the RF&P and the system’s not been deactivated. Again, I could be very wrong on this, I admit it.
At any rate there aren’t any RF&P diesels around in their original colors. Considering the hard time CSX had in aquiring the 'road they couldn’t repaint them fast enough! Or at least use enough paint to obliterate the RF&P markings. Unusual, since at the time CSX wasn’t in any hurry to repaint the units of their predecessor 'roads. Spite? Maybe.
As far as I know, there are a few of the GP40-2s left in service. These are from the former RF&P 141-147 group, now renumbered 6398-ish. They can be identified by the lack of dynamic brake blister. They had their ATC equipment stripped off years ago. I’m pretty sure no other units remain on CSX’s roster. A shortline in Georgia(?) I think may have bought some GP35s, not certain, though. I believe the SW1500 we had in Richmond, #91, is on the Morristown & Erie. The Pot Yard SW1500s are probably on industrials as are possibly 4 0f the SW1200s. #85 was scrapped, I think. Buckingham Branch has GP-7 #101, still in its’ classic 1950 paint scheme. Don’t know if it’s currently in service. I don’t know if any of the Alcos survived. They were all off the roster before my time (1980) except for the 3 converted to slugs at Pot Yard and one hulk which sat on a track by the turntable at PY, years ago. That’s probably aisle 14 in Target, now! The lone SW-1 ended up on the Towanda-Monroe Shippers Lifeline (that may be close to the name) in northeastern PA. Still see the occasional covered hopper, but that’s about it.
Sorry I can’t be more concise. Gettin’ old!
RFPJOHN