The fact that this has been done so neatly makes you wonder if one or more disgruntled employee(s) are behind it. Painting something this big, with multiple layers and stenciled details on three separate occasions without getting caught by security or railroad staff just doesn't seem likely.

When they find the person doing this they should put all the units in one yard get their pictures with the artist and then give him a job as a painter.

I’m just glad someone’s actually doing it in a way that actually looks like it’s applied properly. They showed a level of professionalism that rivals even the CSX shops that painted the official heritage units.

To be honest its got to be an employee

I work for CSX. This is indeed done by the company. There are 3 chessie system units sitting in obannon yard as of today. And yes, with just the nose painted.

I got to see that beauty yesterday! Unfortunately a conductor that was on that train hates it and tried to mess up the paint. But the Cedartown paint shop fixed it!

Unlike the other "unofficial" heritage units, this one even has the old L&N style number boards. That's impressive.

I hate seeing vandalism on bridges, overpasses, trains, etc, but this doesn't look like vandalism. It would fool me.

Thank you for documenting this additional CSX Louisville & Nashville Railroad "Heritage unit". I appreciate your efforts to find and document these unofficial CSX "Heritage unit". If you had not found the three "Heritage units" that you show in this video, there is a good chance that the rest of us would not know they existed. By uploading your videos of these three units, you are making it possible for future railfans to know that they existed.

I love the way you pulled off that old 1960's/1970's/1980's - early 2000's low quality camera, got me pretty good when I started watching this video (I'm a sucker for times before I was born) (No I wasn't born in the 2010's, I was born the year before 2010 (If you're wondering))

I honestly think that when these power units go in for regular maintenance, there is a note placed on the work order that reads something to the effect of, "Major rock chips on the nose. Send it to paint and body to have it fixed before sending it back out to service." And the people in the paint shop, having to do this anyway, and a full pallet of colors, just choose to paint the nose in heritage colors and designs. Who among the upper management is going to get upset? "Let the 'boys' have a little fun. It is hurting no one."

I think it’d be funny if an employee messes up the “vandalism”, and the train ends up repainted with that left on and touched up with an internal message to leave it alone.

Foamers when inaccurate heritage unit: 😢 Me: 😅

The idea of the whole fade concept was made by Jamie boychuck who heavily insisted that the heritage locomotives represent CSX more than the predecessor road, and I also wonder if the person who do these paints researches the previous owners of the locomotive before going to town on it.

A example of the L&N is the Tennessee central railroad museum. Which also preserves it history.

I caught the New York Central with the three CN units in Radnor Yard the other day, Great video.

Great video! Hats off to the "artist'!

I wouldn't call these unofficial heritage units vandalism. I don't think the people that painted them had ant malicious intentions. They don't damage the locomotives or make them look ugly.

That's awesome! I wish they'd paint the whole engine. CSX is terrified of recognizing their past. They are afraid they would be placed with other railroads who embrace it. No, I think CSX appreciates the song "L&N Don't come around here no more," Because they are moving forward and away from their past. And if you've followed CSX's business plan, that means they are trying to get rid of the railroad altogether. For the past 50 years, no other mega corporation has been so self-destructive.

Charlie, how cool! Another herivandal unit in NW Georgia! Thanks for this fun video and the call out of motorcars! Dan

Awesome video I did catch the 1850 L&N on m422-26 today

I like the half and half,it’s cool 🙂

Whoever is doing this is doing a good deed for the railfanning community and CSX history

Heroes may become heroes, but NOT ALL of them wear a cape!

I think this guy is the one that's actually been doing it and he's just trying super hard to deflect the blame.

Great video and information!!! The New Heritage schemes are fine!!! I think they are awesome representation of the old and the newer current owners Markings! Kudos for choosing a completely different scheme!!! Awesome L&N GP 38-2 heritage!!!

Beautiful! Really looks great! Now if it just had it's Gyralight back!👍

What’s next Western Maryland?

was nice meeting you sat at wyvern charlie even though was raining it finally cleared up around lunch

More interesting finds. Thanks for posting.

We just found one for the N&W on NS #1650 in Columbus, GA

To think that this is vandalism or otherwise "unsanctioned" paint is just silly. It takes time to do this paint - and it all has to be done in one sitting. There is no way a crew is going to just sit around while someone takes his time to "vandalize" their loco. Factor in the downtime and the expense and the access... No, these things are sanctioned - they have to be, and I suspect they don't use the fade for expediency purposes. Looking forward to seeing more!

It’s a good looking tribute.

Another great Video-Info V12, keep your trains rolling !

I heard they did the nose on NS1650 as a Norfolk and Western Edit: it did served for the NW as 1650

I can't hardly wait for the artist to do a Clinchfield, they should enact a policy that a couple of new units be painted for the predecessor roads every time they order. And I mean the full unit painted in heritage paint with csx under markings. As the saying goes never forget history....and CSX needs to learn that...just like the Government does.

Foamers gonna complain no matter what. The fact that CSX, of all people, actually HAVE heritage units is surprising to me enough.

Great video the engine looks cool

I have a feeling this whole painting the nose of these geeps might be an inside job

Great job!!

Great Video!

This dude better make a Durham & Southern one. All you gotta do is find a geep numbered between 2556 and 2559.

Someone’s way of telling the idiots in the paint booth that they should’ve painted the WHOLE locomotive in the heritage scheme. A locomotive’s paint scheme being on the nose, and CSX ruined every one of these units with the CSX crap on the front.

Bro that intro was so smooth

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this is not vandalism. Vandalism is low quality, and usually intended to deface and/or destroy. This is art, professionally done, well thought out and meticulously detailed.

Damn that looks great! BNSF needs this. They refuse to paint anything other than Halloween colors. No Green BN no ATSF Yellow or Warbonnets etc.

I caught CSX 2625 on the M&M subdivision a month before it was repainted on the front.

You could've added a VHS tape effect on the intro part. -2625 Foamer points

It is beautiful! I wish whoever did it would finish the unit!

Hopefully CSX won't mind the L&N logo

That intro really nice!

I think it's awesome. Love seeing anything from the Long & Nasty. Lol

I remember saying in a few public videos jokingly “he will do L&N if he ain’t a b*tch” and holy shit he actually did it.

A Union Pacific train derailed recently in stuttgart Arkansas

1:16 the L&N Emblem was also on CSXT3440 The spirit of Ravenna heritage unit

I've got to see the l&n locomotive when it went by where I live it's a cool thing

Looks nice leave it on

No problem Nice tribute

I'm a Southern Railway fan. I grew up watching their CNOTP 2nd District Kentucky Division. I am kinda partial to the L&N paint scheme because of it being a Kentucky corporation and the friendly rivalry of SOU and L&N. Long live The Old Reliable!

I was born and raised in the mouth of the Hazard Hollow, Coal cars rambled past my door, Now they're standin' in a rusty row all empty, And the L&N, Don't stop here anymore

The video where are you show the New York central CSX heritage unit with Canadian national on it I caught that exact train yesterday

What does it matter? Show me a train without 50 cars with ugly spray paint on them and I'll show you a train without 50 cars. If the railroads don't care about that, then they shouldn't care about this. At least these have some class.

I ❤ vids they are amazing

I don't know if it's vandalism, but it is the very definition of fence sitting.

V12, two things.. one, the nose bandit is actually a random csx worker, and two, NS 1650 got the N&W nose now

I have no doubt CSX will have someone punished to the fullest extent of the law. They have no sense of their history. Executive management is terrible.

Back in the day, I heard L&N bought hundreds of gallons of battleship gray from the Navy, so they had 13 different shades of gray.

Glad they did it, I think they'd look better in full paint but so be it. The NYC unit has the lettering really phoned in, though, no actual NYC engine had that font. These reversed versions are neat.

Interesting

This isnt vandalism, this is art

CSX should have put the Heritage RR logo on the nose with the CSX blue. show a WHAT IF for the front then we can see the fallen flag rr paint on the 2nd half of the locomotive. as for the Chessie, RFP and now LN vandalized engines. I LOVE THEM. I live along the old NYC in central PA. 1hrs from the B&O in Clearfield area where the B&O came into Clearfield from Dubois via Curwensville NYC also connected at CFD for their connection to Coal but the former Beech Creek RR later NYC is 1 block away from me. 2hrs from the old B&O S&C branch line that ran from Rockwood, PA to Johnstown. Those are the closest CSX heritage to me.

We do an immense amount of trolling.

Cool CSX Heritage Locomotive in 1979-2024 V12 productions And Having to GP 40 - 2 That Was a weaknesses.

The consensus is a tribute. Professional work.

YES!!! YEAH!!!🎉

There has been another this time on Norfolk Southern, it's an SD40-2 with an NW nose

Last I heard of the 6914, it was in the lines of the paint shops in Waycross. As nice as this seems, CSX clearly doesn't approve. A shame really because, while I don't approve of vandalism, what whoever did this did seems quite nice.

Vandalism sucks, but this is awesome!! I support

No matter how cool it is, the reality is these units have been vandalized. I still think it's super awesome and I would love it if CSX said "Screw it, we'll allow it!" and had a bunch of nose heritage geeps, but I think the reason they won't do this is because they don't want people to think vandalizing their equipment will encourage them to do anything. It's a bad idea to make anything good come out of breaking the law. Despite all this, I still would like to see more of these! The suspense is fun and I think it's a hilarious protest to the official heritage units lack of nose paint. I will forever think NS did a better job with their heritage fleet because they went all in.

KCS 1976 heritage would be epic

Look better than the other one...

Some RR employees volunteered their time to bring back original colors of unit

Idk if it’s just me but I can tell the difference between the front of a regular Csx locomotive and between a csx heritage unit front

looks good to me

Nice video! Wonder if the unknown person behind all of this will paint even more in the future..

Whoever these guys are I hope they keep doing this. There's a SCL one now too 2813 I think

It's like a rose sprouting from a crack in concrete

It's a tribute to a wants great Railroad❤

Repainting those back into csx colors should honestly be considered vandalism and is rly a big pr loss for csx lmfao

Perhaps CSX is doing the 1/4-front to offset their “official” units’ 3/4-rear paint jobs.

I'm hoping for a Seaboard Air Line unit since we don't have one yet. Citrus scheme preferably.

THEY STRUCK AGAIN!!!!

Update now for the new heritage scheme for the new movie of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child There Gonna rolled out from the paint shops in Waycross Georgia CSXT 3358 in Harry Potter Heritage scheme there gonna do a presentation in a couple of moments with the CSX employees thank you

Dang, I wonder who’s next

While technically under the law, wilful or malicious destruction or defacement of property, is considered vandalism. However...I do not believe in the least that it's the intent of this individual to vandalize. This is a double-edged sword situation where an individual is trying to honor the heritage of CSX and the previous entities it has acquired, yet doing so in a manner that is technically criminal. My hope is that CSX would not pursue criminal charges for this, even if they did catch the person. Maybe trespass them and warn them not to return, but let it go. No harm, no foul.

These look better than the ones CSX are actually doing

Whoever this "Vandal" is, I wanna meet them.

Waiting for a C&O one

Prefer the sharp line on the body reprints, love these front nose paint jobs though

One would think they’d have figured it out by now