I was wondering if any one knows if the Atlantic Coast Line Alco HH-1000 #1000 (renumbered #600 then #25)was ever in the normal purple with a silver band paint scheme as the othe alco S-2's (#'s in the 600's then #107 to 124). I've seen pictures of it in the solid purple with aluminum (silver) lettering as on page 22 of the Atlantic Coast Line the Diesel Years by Warren L. Calloway. Thanks in advance for any help.

-- Jesse Cone (jcone30123@yahoo.com), September 29, 2003

Answers

The only "photo" I've ever seen of this engine, beyond its earliest days as 1000 and 600, was actually in a movie. In a yard scene in the video "Vintage Rails Vol. 5" (available from the Society catalog), the camera pans by a group of engines in a yard, looks like Waycross or Tampa to me around 1950 or so. The 600 is among them (or maybe it was 25 by then, can't recall for sure without looking again) and is in the "normal" purple scheme with the aluminum band, yellow stripes, etc. HOWEVER.....near the front of the hood is a "stateless" ACL script herald, just as the engine carried on its original solid purple scheme!! This is a really strange variation to put it mildly, and is the only case I know of where an ACL switcher carried the herald. If anyone has a good still photo of this scheme, needless to say we are interested.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@att.net), September 29, 2003.