Well it's been quite a while to update the Featured Photo since the depths of Winter... Here's some heavy freight action featuring LIRR C420 #229 leading a four unit lash up, in Bicentennial colors at Yard A - Sunnyside, LI City 8/12/1981 in the heat of August.
Steve: Good 1981 picture of a LIRR freight train at Yard A in Queens. There is half the fleet of L2s
(C420) there in the picture for power flying the wave color scheme which they looked good in.
The only problem is your description of the color scheme - it should be the "Gabreski" scheme in
which the red/white/blue "We Serve With Pride" patriotic colors on locomotives were used.
The one and only true Bicentennial LIRR locomotive was GP38 #252 which was delivered wearing
those colors in 1976. The MTA and the LIRR both had bicentennial logos/heralds that were used
on some equipment that was special that year - but that was about it.
I suggested that C420 #200 be at least lettered for the Bicentennial "200 Years 1776-1976" as a
teenage railfan then which got nowhere - and it would turn out that #200 would be leaving the
LIRR as the original lease was up and replacement GP38s were entering service.
The Gabreski era 1978-1981 more then made up for the lack of Bicentennial colors on the LIRR.
What I did find interesting is that after Robin H.H.Wilson became LIRR President that the railroad
went back to blue and white on locomotives during the 1980s when it was time to repaint units.
Another interesting observation is seeing that bright red Santa Fe boxcar and Burlington Northern
green covered hopper coupled up together as the first two cars on that pictured train - as we all
know these two railroads would eventually combine to form the BNSF Railway...MACTRAXX
