Cranking up to switch some privately-owned passenger cars that are in town, RPCX SW1 738, still carrying the lettering for former owner Washington Terminal, was found at St. Louis’ Union Station. Built by EMD in November 1950, this switcher was originally Pennsylvania Railroad 9422. The Pennsy later renumbered it to 8522, and it retained this number after the Penn Central merger. After passenger carrier Amtrak was formed in 1971 and needed switchers for some of its larger terminals, PC sold several SW1s, including this one, to Amtrak, and this locomotive became AMTK 251 and, to clear numbers for new F40PHs in 1977, renumbered it to AMTK 738. Amtrak later sold it to Washington DC’s Washington Terminal (which is pretty much wholly owned by Amtrak) as WATC 738. In 2014, not long before this photo was taken, this engine was sold to RPCS and sent to St. Louis. (St. Louis, Missouri – October 2, 2014)
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
