ITM MILW 83A

[Stew Winstandley]

The February 2014 issue of TRAINS Magazine, page 64, has a photograph of ITM's former MILW F7 83A repainted in blue and white derived from the EMD demonstrator scheme of F7s while on the NKP.  Is that new paint over what was Monon gray and red?

Stew

[Mark Johnson]

Yes, that would be the case. The two ex-MILW F7s at ITM had been in Monon colors for some years. This is now at least the third paint scheme for the ITMZ F's - prior to the Monon paint, they were a deep burgundy color for the original Fairtrain. Can't remember the exact year but it was mid-80s.

Hopefully, they did some significant corrosion repair/control before repainting the unit in the demo colors. The last pictures I saw showed a lot of rust perforation on the carbody sheet metal.

Mark J
Columbia MO

[Ryan Rybarczyk]

They did some work but I believe Craig said more would need to be done. It was put in that scheme for the NKP Society convention that was held in Indianapolis this year. I believe sometime this spring there are plans to bring it back in and put it back in the R&G. Technically it has worn 4 schemes as prior to being put in the Blue it wore all Black for the State Fair train this past year.

[Ron Marquardt]

Here is the fair train crew posing in front of their locomotive, all retired Monon men working the train that year.  WR "Bll" Baker, bkmn, JA "John" Pickel, engr, GW "George: Moorhous, cndr, JW "Jim" Kelly, firmn, GM "Max" Newkirk, bkmn.  I believe this was taken in 1984.  / Ron