CSX 6900 L285, GP 40-2, ex Chessie C&O 4392, with the faint outline of the Chessie Cat logo on the front of the nose, makes its way back toward Madisonville, Ky on the MH&E Branch, as it approaches the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Central City, Ky. This unit has been also known as “Blank face” and “No logo nose” On December 6th, 2023.

From what I found online: for context, Chessie System was the combination of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and the Western Maryland Railway. The Hagerstown yard was once part of the WM, home to a major classification yard and locomotive repair facility. The name came from C&O, who took majority control over the B&O and WM. CSX dates to 1980 as a joint venture between Chessie and Seaboard System before formally merging in 1986.

6900 was indeed part of the former Chessie System (for the C&O specifically) and wore the same logo on her nose when she was built in 1980. However, this is not her old colors showing through. After some repair work in 2018/2019, 6900 lost her CSX decal, leaving a blank nose. In 2020, a crew in Ohio took it upon themselves to apply the Chessie logo as a nod to her heritage, however it was removed shortly after, leaving this faded “ghostly” image.

CSX L285 is on a return trip from making a pickup at HARSCO, BLACK BEAUTY Abrasives (Reed Minerals) at Drakesboro, Ky on the CSX MH&E Branch. CSX uses a short portion of this branch to service the plant, with it being its only customer on it. At Central City they switch onto the Paducah and Louisville Railway and return on the PAL to Madisonville, Ky.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 460mm, f/6, 1/800, ISO 320.