The year 2026 will be the United States Semiquincentennial (also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America250 or the Quarter Millennium) will be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. And, as with the American Bicentennial fifty years ago, in 1976, some railroads are painting locomotives to celebrate.
East Penn Railroad repainted and renumbered their GP9 1700 for the occasion, renumbering to 1776 and applying a colorful red, white and blue paint scheme. This GP9 was built by EMD in October 1956 for the Pennsylvania Railroad (as PRR 7068). It later became Penn Central 7068, then Conrail 7068. CR had it rebuilt into a "GP10" and renumbered it 7557. Later still, this locomotive became Lancaster Northern (LANO) 57, PRL 2022 (East Penn's original reporting mark), and then ESPN 2202, ESPN 1700 and, now, ESPN 1776. (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania – September 27, 2025)
Photographed on railroad property with permission and full PPE.
