In September 1983 I made a trip to Kentucky to check out Seaboard System and search for former L&N U25B’s. During that trip I would basically stumble onto Chessie System power on transfers ariiving and departing the Decoirsey, KY SBD yard which was former L&N.
On my arrival 9-17-83 my first photo was of a loaded coal train at Covington, KY headed towards Decoursey wearing Family Lines painted power up front. As it slowed to a stop a set of lite Chessie power came up alongside it. The two units were C&O 3027/C&O 8232
The lead unit was built as C&O GP30 3027in August of 1963 in C&O blue and yellow paint later getting the Chessie paint.seen here.
Second was C&O B30-7 8292 from the series 8235-8298 built in 1981.
The 8292 was later repainted as CSX 5574 First just blue and gray:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4671957
And then the standard CSX blue and gray with a yellow nose.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2109479
At Decoursey yard I found a number of off road cabooses in different paint scheme including B&O bay window caboose 903942
B&O 903942 was five years old being built in 1978 and delivered in this paint scheme. This was the extent of finding Chessie System at the beginning of the trip.
On my return to Cincinnatti for my flight home I stopped once again at Decoursey and found a Chessie System cab hop departing the yard behind B&O GP9 6669 anc C&O caboose 903295.
B&O GP9 6669 was built in 1956 as Chesapeake & Ohio GP9 6120. Same blue and yellow as Baltimore and Ohio but with C&O lettering.
The caboose was built as C&O 903295 in 1968 and first wore C&O blue and yellow before the Chessie System paint..
After these photos I then made my way to Cincinnati and the airport for my flight home to Seattle. I was not expecting to photograph any Chessie this trip but of course now I wish I had spent more time with the railroad that had a “sleeping cat” as it’s mascot.
