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(erielack) RE: What is wrong with this picture?

So, this picture was quite significant after all.  Three observations:

1.)  Yes indeed, the headlight is off on the FT.  I got the Erie picture books out and noticed that daytime running w/o headlights ended around 1950 or so.  There seems to be a transition period of maybe 1949 to 1951 when you see some shots of running trains (steam and diesel) with lit headlights and some w/o.  

2.) Given that this shot most likely was taken before 1950, probably 1946, then the freight symbol is probably not 99, as the 99 and 100 "Flying Saucers" were not started until early 1949.  Assuming that the cited location is correct (Scotio, near Marion), and given that the train appears to be front/side-lit with a low sun horizon angle, and that the freight consist appears to be mostly boxcars and reefers w/o hoppers, tanks, gons or flats, then this could be 77, the Croxton to Chicago manifest that I believe left Croxton in mid evening and could have reached Marion before sunset during the summer months (the shot does appear to be taken in late spring or summer).  

3.) It's interesting that a photographer in 1946 would have used expensive color film for a diesel!  But perhaps the diesels still seemed to be more of a novelty and less of a threat to steam at that time; to the railfans, although not to most RR management. Within two or three years, though, the handwriting would be on the wall, and many railfan photographers allegedly vowed to ignore diesels.  Fortunately, not all!

Jim Gerofsky

> From: graytrainpix_@_hotmail.com
> To: erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
> Subject: What is wrong with this picture?
> Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:05:06 -0400
> 
> 
> Here's a nice shot for sale on Ebay of some FT's rolling west thru Ohio with a 99 in 1956: 
> 
> http://i17.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/02/b3/2aff_1.JPG
> 
> But notice the paint scheme -- a compromise between the classic Erie yellow-face freight scheme and the basic black that the FT's wore when delivered.  The curved yellow backdrop comes up from the frameline and ends between the diamond and the headlight, looking somewhat like a flower vase.  I never saw this scheme before.
> 
> Jim Gerofsky
> 
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