The names Altoona and Juniata have always been significant in the locomotive repair industry since PRR days. Probably the most noticable display of Juniata's fine workmanship in terms of quality and durability is the work done by the paint shop personnel. After an April 1981 fire destroyed a neighboring building to the existing paint shop, Conrail seized an apportinity and built a brand new, modern, state-of-the-art, paint shop next to the former paint shop. Completed in 1982, this new paint shop has enabled Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern, to keep durable coats of paint on their locomotive fleet. There have been many outside contracts solely for the purpose of a repaint. Since at least 1994, the Juniata paint shop has used only Dupont Imron paint, an extremely durable, and expensive paint. Just look at how well the paint is holding up on the 12-year-old (as of 2007) SD60I's.
The first step is cleaning. This normally takes two men 10 hours to ready a locomotive for sanding. Second, it takes about 90 main-hours to sand down a locomotive to the metal. There is usually some amount of body putty applied to units being repainted. From primer to stenciling, it takes about 18 hours to paint an entire locomotive inside and out.
Pictured here are just a handful of the thousands of locomotives painted by the Juniata Paint Shop.
Work In Progress - Let me know if you can provide shots of the following:
CR 6300, Buy and Hold US Savings Bonds
CR 6726, 1992 Olympics
CR 6707, We Support our Troops
CR 6288, United Way
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Paint Date:
Photo Date:
When PRR 1361 was removed from display at the Horseshoe Curve in the early 1980's, this GP9 took its place. Conrail painted it up in PRR colors, but it has since been repainted.
Photo by William Davis Jr |
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Paint Date: c.1991
Photo Date:
Specially painted load test unit Q1.
Photo by Gerry Carry |
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Paint Date:
Photo Date: September 1993
Special Philadelphia Division decal.
Photo by Bill Hough |
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Paint Date: March 1983 (originally)
Photo Date: September 1998
Juniata painted all three Executive E8's.
Photo by Mike ray |
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Paint Date: August 1995
Photo Date: May 2007
This is one of several SD60I's built in Altoona under contract for EMD and Conrail in 1994 and 1995. |
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Paint Date: January 1996
Photo Date: Spring 2002
Juniata painted the SD80MAC's in a new paint scheme to make them stand out from DC traction units. |
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Paint Date: May 1996
Photo Date: March 2007
The last existing E7 was cosmetically restored by the Juniata Shop after it was saved from the scrapper's torch.
Photo by Lance Myers |
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Paint Date: May 1998
Photo Date: October 2003
This blue SD70MAC is working for CSXT. |
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Paint Date: February 1999
Photo Date: June 2002
Standard paint C40-9W departing Altoona. |
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Paint Date: November 1999
Photo Date: April 2002
An SD60I painted in the previous NS paint scheme. |
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Paint Date: August 2000
Photo Date: October 2000
The first NS GP38 rebuild is on display for Railfest. The 5500's were actually financed and owned by First Union Rail.
Photo by Jeff Lubchansky |
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Paint Date: Fall 2000
Photo Date: October 2000
NS overhauled and repainted many former Conrail GP38-2 for CSXT after the breakup of Conrail.
Photo by Jeff Lubchansky |
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Paint Date: Fall 2000
Photo Date: October 2000
FAIX leasing bought these units after other plans fell through. These are former Conrail units.
Photo by Jeff Lubchansky |
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Paint Date: Fall 2000
Photo Date: October 2000
JBS overhauled and repainted several former SP units for Union Pacific.
Photo by Jeff Lubchansky |
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Paint Date: January 2002
Photo Date: April 2007
This is a standard NS repaint in the former NS paint scheme. |
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Paint Date: Summer 2002
Photo Date: February 2006
NS 3329 was Conrail's first SD40-2. It was painted up for a new intermodal facility in California. |
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Paint Date: February 2004
Photo Date: February 2004
GP38-3 5801 is the first NS GP50 rebuild. |
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Paint Date: March 2004
Photo Date: May 2008
An SD60I painted in the current standard NS paint scheme. |
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Paint Date: August 2006
Photo Date: August 2006
During the summer of 2006, Juniata completed, tested, and painted ten UP SD70ACe's under contract from EMD.
Photo by Mike Breen |
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Paint Date: Late 2006
Photo Date: December 2006
Load test unit Q1 was repainted as NS 1000. Decals were modified a little because of the middle hood missing. |
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Paint Date: March 2007
Photo Date: March 2007
NS F units, painted up for the OCS train, are on their test run with two clean GP38 rebuilds. |
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Paint Date: May 2007
Photo Date: June 2007
A handful of Juniata's GP38-2's and GP38-3's have received Operation Lifesaver decals. It's been a while since any units have received them. |
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Paint Date: August 2007
Photo Date: August 2007
Here is NS 3072, the second NS GP40/GP40-2 conversion.
Photo by JB Kerr |
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Paint Date: November 2007
Photo Date: March 2008
The last GP38-2 rebuild for RJ Corman sits at Cresson. |
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Paint Date: July 2008
Photo Date: July 2008
Two of the OCS F units and one of the completed RP14BDB's was placed on display for 2008 Railfest. Here is the first look at the cabless remote genset switcher. |
