What a difference 1 week makes ...
In the months prior to the July 1, 1967 merger between
ACL and SAL, a number of Seaboard E units began showing signs of extremely worn paint and lettering suggesting some preparation was being made for the ultimate re-painting of the units into the SCL colors. Seaboard only had 3 E7B units which were frequently found in sets of power handling trains 57 and 58 (Silver Meteor), making them somewhat illusive to be photographed during daylight hours on the northend of the railroad. This photo was taken at Hermitage Yard, Richmond, Va., the first week of August 1967. Making up the trailing unit of a 3 unit set of E units for No. 57, we see E7B 667, still in deplorable condition having been re-numbered and re-lettered into the "split-image" scheme. Only one week had passed since E7B 3105 was photographed at the same location. Seaboard locomotives were re-numbered and re-lettered very quickly subsequent to the ACL-SAL merger and the E units were painted the SCL black and yellow within a year.
