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Watching a Youtube video of a GT locomotive still in GT paint has me curious as to how many of them are still out there that haven't been repainted by CN. I'm guessing that you have a better chance at seeing an IC unit then a GT. It's been at least 10 years since I've seen a GT locomotive.

There are still a sizable amount out there. In fact, I just saw one several days ago.

There are still a surprising amount out there but their numbers are slowly dwindling. I'd say there's got to be at least 30 left.

There a handful on the old DT&I still.. I find CN's pratice of re painting them and sublettering them interesting. You can see CN painted units with GTW, EJE, IC, DMIR, ect. Reporting marks

Ive got 53 still in GTW blue on my list.

I think there's an old thread regarding this very topic. Hmm...gonna have to search for it now.

Edit: Ah yes, here it is: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3465&p=15072&hilit=GT+paint#p15072

The thread has been bumped in the Railfanning section.

Ypsi wrote:There a handful on the old DT&I still.. I find CN's pratice of re painting them and sublettering them interesting. You can see CN painted units with GTW, EJE, IC, DMIR, ect. Reporting marks

I do find it interesting how CN repaints their equipment. It reminds me of the Chessie System. Put all the equipment under one banner withsub lettering for their respective roads. I've seen images of all the aboce reporting marks. Suprisingly enough there are still locomotives from all of these roads in their pre-merger paint schemes.

Better add B&LE to that list soon...

Ypsi wrote:There a handful on the old DT&I still.. I find CN's pratice of re painting them and sublettering them interesting. You can see CN painted units with GTW, EJE, IC, DMIR, ect. Reporting marks

For what it is worth, the plethora of reporting marks used by CN is due to the subsidiaries held under the CN corporate structure. As CN purchased other railroad companies, different financing schemes were used and separate systems for the taxation of property and equipment developed. In some instances, third parties may be involved in the acquisition of equipment and these assets must be uniquely identified to protect the third parties interests.

There can also be a need for the assets, income, and expenses of the separate entities to be accounted for.

While locomotives are often what we focus on, you will see a lot of different reporting marks on CN "branded" equipment.

As of the closing of business 2014 a partial list of CN subsidiaries that invoice customers looks like this:

CN (Canadian National Railway Company)
AC (Algoma Central Railway Inc),
GTW (Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company),
DWP (Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway Company),
IC (Illinois Central Railroad Company),
WC (Wisconsin Central Ltd.),
EJ&E (Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway Company),
CCP (Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad Company),
CDR (Cedar River Railroad Company), WC (Wisconsin Central Ltd.),
SSM (Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company),
BLE (Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company) and
DMIR (Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway Company).

Spotted a GTW unit today near Flat Rock Yard, one of a handful in service in the area

Classic Trunk by Michigan Central Lines, on Flickr

Ypsi wrote:Spotted a GTW unit today near Flat Rock Yard, one of a handful in service in the area

Classic Trunk by Michigan Central Lines, on Flickr

Rusty but trusty GT! Good find! I remember the days of seeing GT SD40-2's on the Holly sub all the time. I remember a stack train that had 5 GT 40-2's on point. WOW!

At least you can say that paint scheme doesn't weather TOO bad.

MQT3001 wrote:At least you can say that paint scheme doesn't weather TOO bad.

It really doesn't. When did they quit painting GT painted locomotives?

MQT1223 wrote:

MQT3001 wrote:At least you can say that paint scheme doesn't weather TOO bad.

It really doesn't. When did they quit painting GT painted locomotives?

The last ones were likely the 8 ex UP SD40-2s, or one of the GP9Rs when they were outshopped. By 1994 new repaints were getting CN colors.

SD80MAC wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:

MQT3001 wrote:At least you can say that paint scheme doesn't weather TOO bad.

It really doesn't. When did they quit painting GT painted locomotives?

The last ones were likely the 8 ex UP SD40-2s, or one of the GP9Rs when they were outshopped. By 1994 new repaints were getting CN colors.

Why the change? Is their a benefit of painting loconotives all under one set of colors? Roster simplicity?

That was around the time of the "CN North America" image and philosophy that attempted to combine the operations of all of the CN component roads. Thus the paint schemes of GTW, DWP and CV were all retired in favor of a uniform look.

I think it might be a year earlier in 1993 they quit the GT paint scheme. I remember seeing CN North America former DT&I loco down in Springfield on the old DT&I May '93.

SD80MAC wrote:That was around the time of the "CN North America" image and philosophy that attempted to combine the operations of all of the CN component roads. Thus the paint schemes of GTW, DWP and CV were all retired in favor of a uniform look.

MQT1223 wrote: Why the change? Is their a benefit of painting loconotives all under one set of colors? Roster simplicity?

Why wouldn't CN want the locomotives in the cooperate paint scheme? If I owned a fleet of locomotives as a parent company I would want them to match my companies image. As neat as it is to see an GTW unit or EJE unit, reprinting them makes sense.

Ypsi wrote:

MQT1223 wrote: Why the change? Is their a benefit of painting loconotives all under one set of colors? Roster simplicity?

Why wouldn't CN want the locomotives in the cooperate paint scheme? If I owned a fleet of locomotives as a parent company I would want them to match my companies image. As neat as it is to see an GTW unit or EJE unit, reprinting them makes sense.

Simple answer
Money and time. To paint a loco may take it out of service for several weeks if not a month. If the locomotive hasn't been through the shops for major service or overhaul where rust or external parts have been fixed or altered it makes sense to repaint the entire locomotive. If not get it fixed and back on the road as soon as possible. It costs more then labor and paint to take a locomotive out of service especially if you are power short, you may need to rent power to make up for the time the locomotive misses. Or even worse hold a train for lack of power and the whole house of cards comes down.

Yeah they are rolling billboards but when it comes down to it locomotives only make money when the wheels are turning under their own power.

Thats a reason to delay repainting, not a reason to not repaint units. There is a difference, as I'm talking about a cooperate image while your simply talking about time. If there's time and it needs it, it should be done. If not, I agree it shouldn't be done.

What happened to the Central Vermomt?