Watch: CSX Adds Seaboard Air Line Railroad to Heritage Fleet (UPDATED, 8/30)
Running from 1900 to 1967, when it merged with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, this railroad “played a significant role in what is now CSX (Chessie Seaboard X)—especially out strength across the southeastern United States,” wrote CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs in a LinkedIn post. “Another great job by our ONE CSX team in Waycross, Ga. Love the logo on the backside… ‘Through the Heart of the South,’” Hinrichs added.
The locomotive, CSX No. 1900 (recognizing Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s founding year), is the 18th in a series of heritage locomotives to roll out of the shop as a “way of reinforcing employee pride in the history of the railroad” and sharing it with the public.
The creation of the Seaboard Air Line heritage unit was no small feat, “showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship and dedication of ONE CSX team,” the Class I noted. Jeromy Hutchison, a CSX carman painter, commented on the complexity of the project, stating, “This was one of our harder projects. All of the stripes on the unit are hand laid, making it very complicated.”
Tim Music, another talented carman painter with CSX, added an interesting insight into the historical context of the railroad’s name. “Back in the day the term ‘air line’ was used like we use ‘as the crow flies’, it was just the shortest distance between two points. It had nothing to do with air travel.” This historical tidbit highlights the innovative spirit of the Seaboard Air Line, which was always focused on efficient and direct routes, according to CSX.
CSX previously unveiled units commemorating the Chicago & Eastern Railroad (C&EI), Georgia Railroad, Seaboard Coast Line (SCL), Pere Marquette, Atlantic Coast Line; Louisville & Nashville (L&N); C&O; Conrail; Chessie System; Seaboard System; Monon Railroad; New York Central; Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P); Family Lines System; and Western Maryland Railroad.
Watch the video below to learn more about the CSX Seaboard Air Line Railroad Heritage unit.
