Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad GP38 405 has a few features that are not found out "out of the box" EMD GP38s, primarily extra vents behind the blower housing on the long hood, and the narrower-than-usual fuel tank. This diesel was built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in January 1967 as Erie Mining 700, later renumbered EM 7250, and later still to EM 4215. (Erie Mining was a railroad that began operations in 1957 in northern Minnesota to haul taconite 72 miles from the mines to an ore dock on the shore of Lake Superior.) In 1986 LTV Mining acquired Erie Mining and its railroad, and this Geep became LTVX 4215. The railroad was shut down in May 2000, and this locomotive was sold to Naporano Iron & Metal Company (becoming NIMX 4215). Eventually NIMX 4215 was purchased by the 47-mile-long A&R, which renumbered it 405. (This fuel tank was applied after the original EMD tank was punctured by broken taconite ore along the track, spilling fuel oil while working in mine service for original owner Erie Mining. Their other GP38, not having had its tank damaged, retained its original fuel tank.)
(Raeford, North Carolina – October 16, 2008)
Thanks to Doug Buell for some additional information on this locomotive!
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.
