NS4000 and NS4001 by Norfolk Southern, on Flickr

Norfolk Southern 4000 and 4001 pose together outside the paint shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for their first portrait. The locomotives wear a new, special paint scheme to designate the units as prototypes for the DC to AC conversion program. 4000 was originally built by GE in 1995 as a standard-cab D9-40C, NS road number 8799. 4001 was formerly D9-40C number 8879. During their rebuild in 2015, they were converted to AC traction, received wide cabs, and redesignated as "AC44C6M". They will enter into normal revenue service across the NS system.

NOTE: One was released a few weeks ago, but quickly returned to the paint shop for some changes.

Now that's a very nice looking scheme.. To bad its a special scheme.

Interesting concept - railroads today cut every cost corner they can, but don't hesitate to spend lavishly on paint schemes that the public largely fails to appreciate, and believe me - these special paint jobs cost a LOT of money.

MountainMan Wrote:Interesting concept - railroads today cut every cost corner they can, but don't hesitate to spend lavishly on paint schemes that the public largely fails to appreciate, and believe me - these special paint jobs cost a LOT of money.

True enough but, the painters get paid the same wages for painting a locomotive regardless how fancy the scheme is.