“The Not-So-Ubiquitous Chessie GP40-2”
Sure, in the 80’s you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Chessie GP40-2. But this example was unique in that it was named, and was the last GP40-2 delivered to the Chessie System, and the last new 4-axle EMD for the B&O.Railroad Passenger Cars, Inc. (RRP) sponsored a “Wilmington Turnaround” charter from Baltimore to Wilmington, DE and return, along B&O’s Philadelphia Subdivision, on April 27, 1985.
The consist included
(1) Chessie System Steam Safety Express baggage car,
(2) RRP 2066 (lounge) “Leonard J. Buxton”,
(3) Pullman “Defender”,
(4) RRP 3587 (coach), and
(5) RRP 3302 (lounge/observation) “Edward G. Hooper”,
and was powered by CS/B&O GP40-2 4447, named “Arch McElvany”. A.W. McElvany was GM-Operations for Chessie System.
Ninety three feet above the Susquehanna River, the excursion (actually a photo runby on the return trip) is westbound, entering Havre de Grace.
