Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company (W&LE), a two-time Railway Age Regional Railroad of the Year recipient, unveils “patriotic powerhouse” No. 1776, plus a specially painted hopper car in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. Also, Genesee & Wyoming’s (G&W) Kiamichi Railroad (KRR) marks 30 years of service.
W&LE
“As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence in 2026, we’re proud to unveil a locomotive that reflects not only the stars and stripes—but also pride, precision, and craftsmanship from the people who make the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway a special place,” the regional reported via Facebook on June 20.
Designed in-house, the unit’s livery is said to draw inspiration from the iconic Norfolk & Western bicentennial locomotive of 1976. But “this is no replica—it features a bold Wheeling twist, including chevron striping and our signature flying letters,” pointed out the railroad, which operates more than 800 miles of track in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia (see traditional locomotive livery below).
Every detail of No. 1776 “was carefully considered and expertly applied, resulting in one of the most striking finishes on our roster,” W&LE said.
The red, white and blue color palette is fully visible from the front, so “you know the 1776 is coming” down the track (see above).
According to W&LE, shop personnel “spent countless hours” sanding and buffing the clear coat to eliminate any blemishes, and adding a polished brass bell (see above), vintage “raised letter” number boards, and a restored Leslie air horn, which it said brings back “an audio-visual aesthetic largely vanished from the modern railroad scene.”
No. 1776 “still needs a few final mechanical touches,” W&LE reports, but it is expected to enter service in late July or early August.
The regional railroad also recently shared that its car shop team completed another meaningful project: a hopper car painted pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.
“This was more than a fresh coat of paint,” W&LE said in a LinkedIn post. “It was a labor of love, a bold visual statement, and a heartfelt tribute to those impacted by breast cancer. From surface prep to the final pink pass, our team brought craftsmanship, pride, and purpose to every step.”
The railroad called the project a “moving tribute—one that reminds us to stand together, raise awareness, and support the ongoing fight.”
KRR
“Happy 30th anniversary to our Kiamichi Railroad,” G&W reported in a June 20 LinkedIn post. Spanning 234 miles, this short line serves customers in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and interchanges with BNSF, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, and Union Pacific (see map below). The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association selected KRR for a Business Development Award in 2023.
G&W in March celebrated the anniversaries of Huron and Eastern Railway (40 years) and First Coast Railroad (20 years), and in February, the 30th anniversary of Portland & Western Railroad.
In 2024, G&W marked 125 years of service with a November celebration in Jacksonville, Fla., where it has a corporate support center that employs nearly 200 area residents, and with a May celebration at the Rochester & Southern, where the global Class II and Class III railroad conglomerate got its start in 1899.
