Chase Gunnoe

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A locomotive repainted into Chessie System colors has emerged from CSX Transportation’s Huntington locomotive shops. The B30-7, C&O No. 8272, formerly CSX No. 5554, was spotted outside of the facility’s main shop area on Saturday afternoon where it was coupled to CSX blue-and-gold locomotives.



Trains News Wire first reported about the locomotive on March 10 when photos appeared on a Facebook page dedicated to workers and former employees of the railroad’s Huntington shops. The original poster later removed the photos.



Text with the post indicated that the Chessie locomotive was headed to the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East, Pa., near Erie. The museum hosts a growing collection of preserved GE-made locomotives. A museum representative declined to comment.



It is the first time a Chessie System locomotive has been painted at the Huntington shops in more than 30 years. The shop, located on the railroad’s ex- Chesapeake & Ohio mainline, was once predominantly responsible for painting C&O and Chessie System locomotives.



C&O No. 8272 was built in January 1980 and was later renumbered to CSX No. 5554. It was retired more than six years ago and placed in deadline storage at CSX’s Cumberland, Md., locomotive shops. It was transported to Huntington in 2016 for cosmetic overhaul.



Trains News Wire has reached out to CSX for additional comment on the locomotive and its restoration in Huntington.