Western Maryland Dumb - please educate me "Atlas Style"

[w neal]

I got this friend who was thinking of running both of the latest Atlas GP35s (black with yellow stripes) with an Atlas SD-35 (circus paint). Would a mashup like that be "inappropriate". If not, would it best suit a coal train or a general freight? I just don't speak much Western Maryland, so I thought it best to ask the experts.

Thanks

[mu26aeh]

@wm3798 , could you please answer the call on line 2 ?  Again, wm3798, could you please answer the call on line 2 ?  Thank you 

[jmlaboda]

My only experience with the Western Maryland was up in Maryland when I was in the Army.  A westbound freight came by where my friend and I had parked along the tracks (west of Cumberland) with a black EMD SD35 leading a circus painted F7A.  So, yes, they were mixed.

[auburnrails]

I'm no WMRY expert, but a Google image search showed both schemes operating in tandem, though most of the pics I saw were F's.  I did see a circus SD35 with some black F's though.  A few of Lee's images popped up from his old layout and he certainly mixed the two schemes together as well.

Hopefully Lee pipes in here soon for you.

-Dave

[PiperguyUMD]

The Circus scheme came about in June 1969.  Both the black and gold speed letter and the Red White and Black where in use until well into the Kitty Kat era.  I'm sure the two types of locomotives were likely found on all sorts of tasks

[davefoxx]

Maybe this will help, until Lee chimes in:

http://www.alphabetroute.com/wm/protopaint.php

[Mark5]

The Circus scheme came about in June 1969.  Both the black and gold speed letter and the Red White and Black where in use until well into the Kitty Kat era.  I'm sure the two types of locomotives were likely found on all sorts of tasks

Absolutely. I remember seeing lashups with both schemes in the 1970s.

Mark

[GaryHinshaw]

Perhaps these similarly mixed lash-ups will be sufficient evidence for your friend?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=479863&nseq=67
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=331347&nseq=212
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=292058&nseq=238

[jagged ben]

Perhaps these similarly mixed lash-ups will be sufficient evidence for your friend?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=479863&nseq=67
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=331347&nseq=212
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=292058&nseq=238

It's amazing how nowadays any schlub with a bit of extra time and a broadband internet connection can answer questions like these in minutes.   

[w neal]

Ta fellas

[cjm413]

D

The Circus scheme came about in June 1969.  Both the black and gold speed letter and the Red White and Black where in use until well into the Kitty Kat era.  I'm sure the two types of locomotives were likely found on all sorts of tasks

I recall Atlas offered the GP35's in the original 500 series.  Off the top of my head, I don't recall if they were renumbered into the 3500 number series (after the highest numbered B&O and C&O GP35's) before or after June '69.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You're fine with the two paint schemes side by side. The only question is the pairing.

I kinda remember hearing that those SD35s were in use on a dedicated stone train. That may be incorrect though. Even if it is, I'm sure they occasionally got loose and into the general freight pool, which the WM seemed to mix and match with wild abandon.

[Bob Bufkin]

They mixed um um lots of times.



You can even throw in some N&W, PC and Reading on those lashups.

[sizemore]

The GP-35's showed up on the WMRY in their original numbers 501-505 with Speedscript in December of 1963. They kept their original numbers until 1967 when they were renumbered 3576-3580 to better fit the Boring & Ominus, numbering system. In 1970/71 at their 7 year shopping cycle received RWB (aka Circus). The SD-35's showed up in December of 1964, in Speedscript. Three units were assigned to the stone train between Sparrows Pt and Hanover PA, the other two would float. Like the GP-35's, they received their 7 year service in 1970/71 and repainted into RWB.

So yeah its plausible that you could see a GP-35 (Speed)/SD-35 (RWB) lashup, to the nitpickers that would be a brief time in 1970/1971.

HTH,
The S.

[wm3798]

Sorry I'm late to the party...  Timmah has summed it up well.  Since the Chessie the Knife hadn't yet abandoned the wash racks, both paint schemes would look nice and fresh, too.

The only thing you wouldn't see, as has been pointed out, is a 500 series number running about with a Circus unit.

Lee