In 2001 Canadian National took over Wisconsin Central. Have any WC locos or rollingstock been repainted into CN colors? I guess they’d still retain their WC reporting marks like the other roads CN’s acquired over the last 10-15 years.
Most of WC’s SW1500s are in CN paint but carry WC sublettering on the cab. To my knowledge the only WC GP40 that got repainted in CN colors was 3023. Also…FWIW there will soon be “only” 4 WC GP40s left if my info is correct. 3010, 3026 and 3027 (plus one more which # I forgot) were the only GP40s not leased. The rest of them are LUGOd in IL.
There are many WC liveried cars still rolling with full logos and reporting marks but some cars have shown up with the CN “noodle” logo and WC marks. I haven’t had my camera with me when I’ve seen them however.
A lot of newer 60 foot boxcars were delivered in light brown paint with the CN wet noodle and WC, IC, DWP and couple other reporting marks. I havent seen or recall seeing any older WC boxcars repainted into CN Noodle. I know of some gondolas, pulp gondolas, bulkhead flats (for pulp), and ACF/3-bay hoppers re-painted with WC reporting marks.
If things go according to past practice, CN will not reletter or renumber any of the WC, SSAM, or WCCL freight equipment. It will probably be repainted with the CN logo at some time or other.
There have been some WC cars delivered with CN logos–I know of some center-partition flat cars for sure (I haven’t seen the 60-foot box cars mentioned above), and there might be some coil gons.
On the other hand, CN seems to be unloading some of WC’s cars. A good 300 (maybe more) 50-foot box cars were returned to General Electric Rail Services, and lettered EEC (from 5600 into the low 5900s). I’ve also seen several groups of the small-cube covered hoppers that have gone elsewhere.
WC 3000 is still running. As far as I know WC 3004 still out and about I saw 3004 last year on the point of an empty coal on BNSF’s Chillicothe Sub.
I heard today that WC 3004 and 3018 joined the deadline in Homewood.
dang im glad i got 3004 probably the only WC I’ll ever see
Below is an image of what I referenced.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/family_man_system/4811505831/sizes/o/ Big picture…warning, lol.
The six ex Algoma Central GP38-2’s (WC2001-WC2006) are also in WC paint.
The only WC GP40’s that will be retained is the WC3026 and the WC3027 on account of them being upgraded to Dash 2 spec’s. The only straight WC GP40 left in active service at the moment is the WC3010 that is working on the White Pine local that’s based out of North Ironwood.
Some WC Gondolas have been fully repainted in CN oxide red.
WC Flat Cars with Bulkheads and Side Posts are patch repainted as they are modified.
Andrew
WC3010 has now been placed into permanent storage and is presently at Fond Du Lac. If anyone wants to get any last pictures of the unit on home Rails they best hurry before it gets moved to Woodcrest in Chicago for disposition.
You beat me to that comment about 3010. 3026 and 3027 are in AB last I checked. It’s been a while since one of the GP38-2s came through my neck of the woods too…
The reason they are now both assigned to Alberta in Canada is becuase they have had their Dyanamic Brakes upgraded to extended range and have also got Canadian cab upgrades such as Microwaves, Fridges and Crew Alertors.
Very true. I suppose what’s left of the WC fleet will go to LTEX or someplace similar…maybe get lucky and another lease on life or the razor blade pile…
I have some video footage of WC3010 in 6/2010 and CN3023 in 5/2008.
Nice videos. I will presume that you know the dispatchers/RTC on CN still refer to the WC sublettered (CN Painted) locos as WC.
When I go back up that way nice to see the WC units still in use on that sub. Growing up as kid it was Soo Line, and my teen years the WC. WC never really ran two units much into White Pine like CN often does unless it was winter. But at that time in 90’s think they may have used SD45 power on the sub, and you would see some long hoods at times. Wish paid more attention to detail then with the locos.
Everyone does, because the have too. Its not the CN 3023, its the WC 3023.
When the locomotives are repainted such as WC3023 is that because they have been in the shop for a rebuild of some sort?