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GE C 39-8 #8208 Photos at New Hope after partial re-paint (but not detailed).


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Pete, are they planning to use this beast? I believe it's an ex Conrail unit (the NS units started at 8550). We called 'em Hunchbacks and they're gruesome. And I love them. Beetle browed, batwinged hunchbacked loud beasts...I hated to see them go.

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Craig, According to one of the photo sites it is owned by NSSX which stands for National Salvage & Service Corp. 8208 was definitely in NS black (do a search on RR Picture net) - and this is where I got confused - they also own the sister locomotive 8202 which was Conrail blue, I saw this loco last time I was at New Hope and it was still blue (with markings erased). At that time I didn't see 8208 at all (in shop?). So when i went yesterday I thought 8208 was 8202 - it was only when I got home that I realized my mistake and that both of them must have been there for work.

 

NSSX also seem to have a loco leasing company so that probably answers your question. Yes, they are like giant Quasimodo's! Satin Black all over may suit then even better...........

 

Best, Pete.

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Some of the ex Conrail C39-8s got painted black; some didn't. The 8200-8212 were proper C39-8s as opposed to the more numerous on CR C39-8E models. See http://www.nsdash9.com/atroster.html . The South Americans bought a mess of them from NS when they were retired.

 

The Hunchbacks had a number of different phases in grill arrangements, etc. The only thing done in plastic was the Rail Power Products C32-8 which was a shorter engine (12 cyl vs 16 cyl). Those can be cut and spliced into a C39 but it's a lot of work. The C39s exist in brass and still command $350+...oof!

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Some more of the beetle-browed hunchbacks. They were big, ugly and loud...so I really liked to see them.

 

8613 when nearly new...no ditch lights. And yes, long hood was forward on almost all of the original NS C39-8s. Only the first two (8550/8551) were short hooders. It's pulling into the huge Schaffer's Crossing yard at Roanoke, VA.

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8617 heads up Train 350 on the NS/CSX joint trackage between Fetner (Cary NC) and Boylan (Raleigh NC). It's starting to pick up speed here as the tail end of the train (way back out of view) is finally off the 1.2% grade up from Morrisville and the train's heading downgrade to Boylan...where a 10 mph curve awaits. The low point seen in the train is the bridge over Interstate 40.

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And 8624 at Raleigh, NC pulls around the wye at Boylan to head east with Train 26, the local to Goldsboro NC

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8208 has the lights mounted below the "footplate" - what is American for this????

 

Pilot mounted ditchlights. Footplate = walkway. Sort of.

 

Conrail typically mounted their ditchlights on the pilot; NS typically on the walkway..

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Thanks Craig. It makes the pilot look very busy on 8208!

 

By the way thanks for everyones patience I think i'm becoming numeral dyslexic I've been talking about three locos in the 8XXX range (the other being a BNSF SDM 60M) and keep getting the numbers either mixed up or downright wrong! Apologies everyone.

 

Best, Pete.

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