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Norfolk Southern AC44C6M No. 4002

(I made this as a running mate for the NS 4003 re-skin by Fox).

(If you have a livery request for me, you may leave it in the comments. However, I will only accept your request if B) I like your idea and a) you word it as a question, preferably without the word 'please' as I find it a bit cringe-worthy. Also, you have to use punctuation, unlike some idiots I've seen who don't use punctuation and still think they can get a request done. You know who you are).

(If you don't get those rules right first time, your request will be denied).

4002 is one of many non-standard engines on Norfolk Southern, non-standard in the sense that her paint scheme is not the standard ‘thoroughbred black’.

This engine was originally built by General Electric in 1995 as a C40-9. Only 125 C40-9’s were built, and they all went to Norfolk Southern. NS wanted to buy more ‘standard cab’ Dash 9’s but they were prohibited from doing so by the Federal Railroad Administration, who ordered NS to acquire ‘wide cab’ locomotives instead. A notable feature of the C40-9 was its large air conditioning units on the cab roof, which gave rise to the nickname ‘Top Hats’. Not sure what a posh tug has got to with American engines, but I digress.

As time went on the C40-9 engines were seen as not very reliable, and - starting in 2015 - all C40-9’s were gradually rebuilt, emerging from the works as AC44C6M’s. This was the case with C40-9 No. 8789, which was rebuilt into NS 4002 in 2016, with the work being carried out in Roanoke, Virginia.

An AC44C6M is a locomotive that has had the old direct current traction motors replaced with alternating current motors, because AC motors work better at lower speeds and are apparently easier to maintain. The work also included the replacement of the old ‘narrow-nose’ cab from the original C40-9 with a cab and front long-hood section identical to that of the ES44AC. All the while, the locomotive retains her original G.E. 7FDL-16 prime mover and rear long-hood section.

Following her rebuild, AC44C6M No. 4002 was sent to Altoona, Pennsylvania and painted in a special ‘black maine’ livery in a similar fashion to NS 1800, 1801, 4000, 4001, 4003, 4004, 4005 and 8520, but obviously not the same as those engines (which are two SD70ACC’s, five AC44C6M’s and the one-off AC44C6CF respectively). 4002 has a ‘tuscan red’ stripe to mark the end of the black paint; the same as 4003.

In 2016, the rebuilt engine entered service. Today she’s still going strong as a proud member of Norfolk Southern’s fleet, and can be found primarily in the northeast United States.