The MERR #100 at Erie, freshly painted and shortly to be delivered to the railroad's Cumberland shops. The MERR is my favorite railroading operation for its highly advanced silicon diode automation system (cutting edge technology at the time), remarkably efficient electrical design (the first railroad in the western hemisphere to use 25kV/60hz power, thus eliminating the need for expensive frequency conversion of rectifier equipment), materials-efficient catenary design (lighter-weight materials allowing wider pole spacing, permitted by the higher voltage), and of course electric-powered coal trains. These electrical design specifications (among many others) are outlined in great detail by Oliver et al in 'IEEE Transactions on Industry and General Applications', September/October 1971, (research I paid to acquire, thus not linked here). An original Kodachrome slide from my collection; the photographer was not specified.
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.
