I wonder if the new locomotive technologies being manufactured today will last as long as these three. Between this trio of EMD engines, they have 170 years of combined service to various railroad companies.
Engine #5 was built in November 1968 for Penn Central and eventually became a roster member of Conrail and the Ohio Central Railroad before joining the Buckingham Branch Railroad.
Engine #3 was built in October 1950 as an EMD GP7 for the Charleston & Western Carolina Railroad Company and over time was rebuilt at an EMD GP16 and served with the Seaboard Railroad and CSX before joining the Buckingham Brand Railroad.
Engine #8 was originally built as a GP7 unit in February 1951 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad with road #135. When ACL merged with Seaboard Coast Line in July 1967 the engine rosters changed and this engine eventually wore the SCL road #723 and then migrated to Seaboard road number #4773. As the Seaboard Coast Line was absorbed into CSX, this engine had been upgraded to a GP16 with the road number #1819. CSX later sold the unit to the former Ex-Gauley River Railroad Company who left road #1819 in tact. The Buckingham Branch Railroad purchased the engine from Gauley River and renumbered it#8. April 2013.
The "BB" was founded in 1988 and ran its first train on March 6, 1989. The BB has grown from 17 miles of track and two employees to 275 miles and 75 employees, spanning over Virginia in three separate divisions.
