Thursday Proto Photo, May 10/18

[Lenny53]

[lock4244]

CN has been leasing power throughout the winter and into the spring, making for a few good months of interesting consists on a RR that still has the ability on it's own to field some interesting combos without outside help.

CN 149 storming the grade at Beare with a PRLX fmr CSX SD70ACe sandwiched by a fmr C&NW C40-8 and a fmr ATSF C40-8W:

[lock4244]

Another CN 149, this time at Newtonville behind a trio of SD75's, CN 5660 and PRLX 203 & 204, originally ATSF obviously:

[lock4244]

And rounding out this trio is CN 114 passing the old coaling plant at Washago, pre-production EF44AC GECX 2038 leading CN 2504, BCOL 4620. Word is CN bought 12 of these, demos, though they've made no move to remove the GECX reporting marks... odd if this is true:

[Scottl]

Great, I just bought one of the Scale Trains demo models too. 

[lock4244]

If they're like the ex LMS units, may take a decade or two to paint. If like the 2000 and 2100's, blink and they're painted. I run with a crowd that seem to know whats going on motive power wise before the RR's do, and to date none have been touched. I find it odd that if purchased they've not been restenciled to CN... maybe there's a something in the agreement that they transfer after the lease period?" Who knows?

[Scottl]

I don't mind all the leased and varied residual schemes as it makes for interesting sightings.  The T4 demo purchase was a complete spur of the moment thing.  I blame @GaryHinshaw  for taking me to Central Hobbies in Vancouver 

[wes_sutton]

In 1984/85, V/Line engaged Clyde Engineering to rebuild 11 of the 26 1950s-built B class locos (see last week's pic) replacing the 567B engines with 645E3B engines. Ostensibly for passenger working, post-privatisation in 2001 seven ended up with freight operator Pacific National while four remained with V/Line Passenger.

Of the 11, only A66 remains in traffic today and with just one short Monday to Friday return regional commuter run to operate, its days must be numbered. Seen at Parwan on 18 April 2018 with the 16.10 service from Melbourne to Bacchus Marsh.

IMG_9057_Parwan_180418 by Bingley Hall, on Flickr

[GaryHinshaw]

I don't mind all the leased and varied residual schemes as it makes for interesting sightings.  The T4 demo purchase was a complete spur of the moment thing.  I blame @GaryHinshaw  for taking me to Central Hobbies in Vancouver 

Well technically, since you were driving, it was you who took me to Central Hobbies.  So I blame you.   

Have you given the unit a test drive yet?  Do you like the sound?

[Lenny53]

Word is CN bought 12 of these, demos, though they've made no move to remove the GECX reporting marks... odd if this is true:

Not odd at all, they will retain the GECX reporting mark until they are renumbered as they conflict with existing CN locos.

[Philip H]

Newish and reall new roll by Silver Spring:

[Scottl]

Well technically, since you were driving, it was you who took me to Central Hobbies.  So I blame you.   

Have you given the unit a test drive yet?  Do you like the sound?

Touche

It runs beautifully and the sound is very nice.  I have to get used to the latency that comes with sound and experiment with the CV settings, but over overall I am very happy with it.  I hope my CN units are similarly well-behaved.  It makes some of my other locomotives look rather plain.