Forgive me if this has already been asked. I am a big fan of the Bicentennial and the colorful engines that were painted during mid 1970's or so time frame. Do any of these Bicentennial train engines exist today as a museum piece or other or were they all re-painted or scrapped?

I think this American Eagle is really great!

DOFC (Diesel on Flat Car) 1985:

This Ingersoll-Rand boxcab should still be out at IRM in Bi-Centennial paint sitting on shop trucks.

Rusty

Hi Member 645

Thanks for sharing this Railroad History, funded by “Trains Magazine” & many generous donors.

This is what rail-fanning is all about.   •   Gary: Rail-fan

645 posted:

 

Above photo was taken in October 2014 so it was still around at that time.

This rebuilt unit apparently replaced the 1528. It arrived in July 2015. Don't know if 1528 is still there today (probably not) as back up power - haven't been out that way for a few years now.

First, 645, awesome summary! 

This doesn't count as a restored bicentennial painted unit now, but BN SDP40 9855 is preserved in Minnesota in BN green/black. It was once painted as a BN bicentennial unit.

Also, here's a shot of the Alco Switcher I took in Gilman this past August. It's been shoved to the very end of the Cargill siding.

1776 Switcher • Pittsburg & Shawmut Line

Gary: Rail-fan

ALASKA RAILROAD  -  1976  -  BICENTENNIAL  - 1776

Gary: Rail-fan

Alaska painted a caboose to go with the F units.

Alaska Bicentennials

D&H 1976 was later renumbered to 506, and still exists with Bicentennial paint on the Tioga Central.

Boston and Maine, in addition to a full blown Bicentennial unit, added red, white and blue stripes to some additional units for the Bicentennial.

RK posted:

Alaska painted a caboose to go with the F units.

Alaska Bicentennials

HI RK / Thanks for sharing this link, has a lot of photos and RR history. Well done........

Gary: Rail-fan

Jim R. posted:

Same was true with several of the bicentennial diesels, including C&NW EMD GP18 no. 1776 and most notably SCL GE U36B no. 1776, which started the trend circa 1973 and was the most modeled engine (Lionel, Bachmann and Athearn) during that time period.

Tyco, which mimicked the SCL scheme on its Alco Centuries, had a TV ad that I believe started running in the 1973 holiday season for its Spirit of '76 train set in HO. That's what got me started on bicentennial diesels. Sadly, I can find no copy of that commercial anywhere on the Internet.

In a similar story line, I have read that it's cab #1225, is why the Pere Marquette 2-8-4, that was the inspiration for the locomotive in Polar Express was saved because, someone didn't want to see it go to scrap because of the cab#'s association with Christmas. I don't know if that is "The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth", but it DOES make a Nice Story.

 While not related to the cab# , the Nevada Northern Ry 4-6-0 #40 was saved because someone there couldn't stand the thought of her being cut, and she was "Hidden" in various places all over the RR, including reportedly, at one point under a pile of scrap. Fortunately she survived the bean counters half hearted searches and was a Very Enjoyable part of my "Engineer For a Day" experience on the NNRY, back in 2007.

[URL=http://s269.photobucket.com/user/challenger3980/media/Picture323-1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i269.photobucket.com/al...980/Picture323-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Sorry for slipping off topic,

Doug

The 1776  • 3046  •  3233 • Hanging Out in the Yard

Gary: Rail-fan

Some very nice pictures and information from all of you .

Fun to see and read.

Thank You.

Larry

Stuart posted:

The interesting thing about N&W SD45 1776 was that it didn't need to be renumbered to be a bicentennial unit.

Stuart

 

I have always thought that was kinda cool as well....

RED - WHITE & BLUE

Gary: Rail-fan

Geneses & Wyoming Railroad in the snow. Darien, CT

Gary: Rail-fan

In 2026 (a great Lionel number, BTW), the country will be 250 years old. I wonder if the railroads will do similarly patriotic units for the Sesqui-BiCentennial, or whatever it may be called.

Here is an MP15 from the Union Railroad in Pittsburgh

Here is a caboose made by Malcolm that I painted for a forum member.

No matter whether Diesels, electrics, or steam this is STILL my favorite "Bi-Centennial" locomotive:

The only official CR locomotive was the 4800.  The others were bi-cents before the start of CR.  Exception:  7776.  From what I can remember, a engine facility repainted her into red-white-blue without CR's OK!  However, I think it is a better livery than 4800.

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

E J & E - 668

Gary: Rail-fan

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

Railroad Art History - from 1976

Gary: Rail-fan

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

INDEPENDENCE HERITAGE BROTHERHOOD • 1976

Gary: Rail-fan

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

The Flags Are Ready

Gary: Rail-fan

Hot Water posted:

No matter whether Diesels, electrics, or steam this is STILL my favorite "Bi-Centennial" locomotive:

 

Well, yeah, me too, considering I pestered one HO manufacturer (Tyco) hoping it would make the AFT GS4 in 1974, then convinced my dad we should hunt for the Lionel HO version during after-Christmas sales at E.J. Korvettes in Brooklyn in 1974, and finally suggested to MTH in the summer of 2001 that it should reissue its scale no. 4449 for the country's 225th anniversary (which it eventually did after 9-11).

End result over the years? Yep, got it in N (Kato), HO (Bachmann) and O (MTH, below). I love the diesels, too, of course, but 4449 (which I got to see and touch in Milwaukee in 2009, also below) is something extra special.

And you spent time in the cab running her. What, me envious?

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

United States Air Force

• 1776 - 1976 •

Gary: Rail-fan

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History

Hillsdale County 1976  •  Indiana, Michigan - Ohio  

 Headquarters - Hillsdale, Michigan

Gary: Rail-fan

Like that USAF and the Hillsdale County.  Was working for a railroad in the Upper Peninsula in 1976, tried to talk the owner into painting a switcher into Bicentennial, said I'd do it if he'd buy the paint - but no go.  We did fly flags on the the engines.   BTW Gary, if you know Charlie Stoia, contact me about the Buick City lettering via my e-mail.

THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History - A Step Back

1947 to 1949 Freedom Train, Museum Tour - WWII   /   Alco PA 1

The first Freedom Train was proposed in April 1946 by Attorney General Tom C. Clark, who believed that Americans had begun taking the principles of liberty for granted in the post-war years. The idea was adopted by a coalition that included Paramount Pictures and the Advertising Council, which had just changed its name from "War Advertising Council".

Gary: Rail-fan

• THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY •

RR History

Burlington Northern

Note: Still looking for a Bicentennial, Ford Motor Railroad Switcher. The librarian at my local library is a HO Scale Model Railroader and he is helping me with this project. I searched the Detroit Free Press files today, but no luck.  He thinks I should go to the Henry Ford Museum and talk to a researcher.

Gary: Rail-fan

Back when Santa Fe used the bicentennial scheme, the units were frequently assigned as the leading unit on the Super-C 79-mph freight train (good publicity, I thought).  At that time, I was able to hold a Fireman assignment on Super-C, in preference to the Engineers' Extra Board, and thus ran a lot of miles in a Santa Fe bicentennial SD45-2.  I took the relief assignment, which worked ten days between San Bernardino and Los Angeles, ten days between San Bernardino and Barstow, and then had ten consecutive days off.  Of course, the Engineers on those assignments were seniority numbers 1,2,and 3.  The fellow I was assigned with did not want to work 20 days in a row, and frequently laid off at the last minute on days he did not feel good, resulting in my being used as Engineer.  Great job!  People always looked twice at the bicentennial engine as we streaked through the orange groves or across the desert through the small towns.  And it gave me a regular reminder to be grateful for all the leaders who had formed our nation in the preceding 200 years, and to remember that it was not free and many had died to preserve the United States.

I am pleased that so many railroads decided to apply commemorative paint schemes.  Thanks for contributions to this thread.  It's good to remember a time when the nation was united in celebrating freedom.

 • THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History •

SantaFe 5700 / Full Scale & Models

Gary: Rail-fan

Gary, the real engine is a SD45-2, the model is a FP45.

Indianapolis Union 200 - Although not wearing this scheme, this SW1500 is still on the rails in Ohio as ABC 1501.

I saw this GE switcher many times as I grew up. It worked for PPG in Barberton, Ohio. As of a couple of years ago it was still working, in it's bicentennial colors, at Cotter Merchandise Storage in Akron, Ohio.

•  THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY •

•  RR History  •

1776 - Seaboard Coast Line

Gary: Rail-fan

Does anyone know if CSX still has the original U36B 1776? A Google search shows it as a test or engineering unit "WLO1" in Waycross, GA. as late as 2005.

•  THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History  •

Delaware and Hudson Railroad

Rails to Canada

Gary: Rail-fan

I don't mean for this to be in poor taste. I just picked up this issue at my LHS. Lots of bicentennial steam and diesel in it.

Also, it looks like every issue of Extra 2200 South from 1975/1976 has info about who had what in bicentennial paint.

•  THE CONTINUING BICENTENNIAL DIESEL STORY • RR History  •

These Bicentennial Colors were also used by: Philadelphia’s PCC Streetcar

Gary: Rail-fan