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Here they are on a shakedown run. NS F7# 4270 with sister B units.
Dave C

Its nice to see that NS applied the Southern Railway cresence scheme with the second generation SR paint job to it.

TrainNut85 wrote:Its nice to see that NS applied the Southern Railway cresence scheme with the second generation SR paint job to it.

That's Southern Tuxedo paint, not Cresent!

Here's a couple other good photos of these units out and about - all from RP.net


On their very first run out on the mainline since being rebuilt, Three of NS's "NEW" Executive F unit's lead two NS GP38-2's west out of Altoona,Pa. to South Fork,Pa. so they can get checked out, and turned to face east for tomorrow's (March 29) departure for Georgia to the Master's Golf Tourny next week. Consist was NS F9A 4270, NS F7B 4276, NS F7B 4275, NS GP38-2 5647, and NS GP38-2 5648. Photo by Tony Kimmel


Eastbound with four engines; going to go south to Master's Golf Tourament in Augusta,Ga. Consist was NS F9A 4270, NS F7B 4276, NS F7B 4275, NS GP38-2 5648 . Train is passing under ex PRR signal Bridge.


Hagerstown, MD

On their maiden voyage with 16 NS Office Cars in tow, The NS Executive F Unit's F9A 4270, F7B 4276, F7B 4275, along with NS GP38-2 5648 roll eastbound at HUNT Tower in Huntingdon,Pa. Today's train was symbolled NS 951, and Ironically I photographed it at 9:51am. All the stars must be alligned or something. Haha!! Photo by Tony Kimmel

Wow, those look very cool. What are they going to be used for?

J T wrote:Wow, those look very cool. What are they going to be used for?

Coal drags out east.



...or not...they're for the executive fleet.

Once again the N&W side of the NS heritage tree gets passed over for the favored Southern colors; what a bunch of crap, not to mention an insult to the N&W guys who will have to run these engines. I suspect the same thing will happen to these units as the 4610 when it travels up on the north end of the system. For those of you who don't know the history of the 4610, it was suggested to have it painted up in Southern green colors to honor the engineers on the Southern side on it's 100 year anniversary of company existence--never mind that the N&W has been around LONGER than the Southern (Yes, the grapes are sour here coming from an ex-N&W guy).

While these units look nice, I think the old N&W passenger maroon and gold would have looked much better and matched the car fleet also.

Kind of like the Seaboard guys and there attatude there is not traffice north of Cincy.

I tink they look perty good although some NKP Bluebird would have been nice too, I wonder if the primes are still 567's or if they upgraded to something more modern?

I agree that the N&W heritage was disreguarded. Poor taste ? You bet, I had a wonderful Christmas when they left me stranded in Georiga.. after I had given-up my salaried job to work for them. Biggest Mistake and biggest embarrasment of my life! McDonough was one of the worst experiances ever. Actions speak louder than shiny F units.

leo28150 wrote:Once again the N&W side of the NS heritage tree gets passed over for the favored Southern colors; what a bunch of crap, not to mention an insult to the N&W guys who will have to run these engines. I suspect the same thing will happen to these units as the 4610 when it travels up on the north end of the system. For those of you who don't know the history of the 4610, it was suggested to have it painted up in Southern green colors to honor the engineers on the Southern side on it's 100 year anniversary of company existence--never mind that the N&W has been around LONGER than the Southern (Yes, the grapes are sour here coming from an ex-N&W guy).

While these units look nice, I think the old N&W passenger maroon and gold would have looked much better and matched the car fleet also.

I think it makes logical sense. When N&W diselized, they started with Geeps, did they not? By '56-'57 when the N&W began to phase out steam operations, F units were on their way out as the GP9 was the way to go. From what I read, N&W never owned an F unit until the aquisition of NKP and Wabash, and I don't think any were ever in the maroon scheme. I believe Southern's F units wore Tuxedo for a time. Perhaps NS is trying to be semi-historically acurate? Just my 2 cents.

NS should paint one of their SD9's into the blue paint with the gold hamburger logo...or GP38's back into the "skink" scheme...or possibly a C30-7 in the maroon paint (think back to the 1980's).
Dave C

Does anyone else agree with me that by welding over the nose access door and taking off the front handrails, NS made their F units look more like a bad old school Life Like HO model? Seriously! Union Pacific has done the same thing with their E9s, and they just look silly. Why not just weld the door shut from the inside or pull off the entry handle and be done with it? Check out the comparison:


Nose Job? I think so!


Here too, especially when you compare to the way the UP E9's used to look just a few years ago:




CP Rails freshly painted FP9 units look great! Heritage scheme, and no funny business on the front end - they just took off the handle to the access door. I like their ditch lights better, too, they seem less invasive.


Same with Kansas City Southern's FP9. Another classic scheme recreated, and another nose that looks normal. They also just took off the access door handle. They even left the fuel tank skirting


Before the paint job, in 2006. Looking GREAT!

And, for the record, Illinois Central E9s and Wisconsin and Southern's E9 both have not been altered on the front end.

Or how about these couple covered wagons still operating in regular freight service?


Peoria and Western (ex Algoma Central)


Goderich and Exeter (RaiLink)

I realize it's dumb to make a big deal out of it - so I'm not making a big deal. I just think it's goofy they did that. What advantage does it serve? Why not just take the handle off and lock it from the inside? Just the historian in me. I'm really excited that all these railroads continue to operate such classy and vintage power. It's a real tip of the hat to their past and the past days of locomotive design and construction. Now, CSX, I know you like your F40s, but how about the old F7 foursome....

Actually I read somewhere that it's something done for collision protection of inward opening doors. The FRA is supposed to get a lot tougher on thses doors so that lead to UP eliminating the nose door on the E's additionally I think it also had been done on their Centennial in which they suffered a crew member fataility in a grade crossing accident in which debris came in from the inward opening door.