Western Railroad Discussion > COER Colors.......

Crab, Egyptian and Orchard Railroad's many flavors!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/19 18:29 by Fiftyfooter.

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The Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway (reporting mark COER) (formerly American Rail Heritage, Ltd. d/b/a Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railroad Company) is a Class III common carrier shortline railroad that operates in the cities of Marion and Herrin in the Southern Illinois region. It is most historically recognized by the FRA for being the last U.S. railroad of any kind to use steam locomotives exclusively in regular revenue freight service up until 1986.

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I saw a COER 60' Hi-cube double plug door boxcar in blue with yellow markings, similar to your second to last photo. But this car had all fresh paint with no graffiti. It was sitting in UP's East Spokane Yard, but since it would require me to shoot with a chain link fence in the way, I didn't bother.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

I caught one of those COER Blue boxcars in 2013. But back in the first half of the 2000's I was seeing a number of the GNRR big blue boxcars going to and from Canada on the UP. It was awefully tempting to go paint a big white rocky the goat in a circle on them.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Another COER car I caught in 2017, but those reporting marks have been showing up on all kinds of equipment lately, but new and used!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Ted, thanks for posting those, they are sweet! I could see why you were tempted. I dig the blue ones, keep those car shots coming!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/19 19:56 by Fiftyfooter.

Neat, I've never seen that one with the 3 colors and the stripe.

While all these cars carry the COER reporting marks, they actually have nothing to do with the Crab Orchard & Egyptian.

These cars all belong to some leasing firm, which has leased the reporting marks from the railroad.  The CO&E has no freight car fleet.  The only rolling stock still lettered for the CO&E is a caboose on friction bearing trucks that is barred from interchage and SW1200 #1136 in Herrin, Illinois.  The locomotive now assigned to Marion is in Progressive Rail lettering.

At one point, the CO&E had a fleet of leased 89' piggyback flats and a small number of both coal hoppers and double door boxcars.  Of those, only the flatcars saw any real service and all have been off the roster for decades.

Of the CO&E passenger car fleet from its days as a tourist hauler in the seventies, two were scrapped while two each are at the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern in Jackson, Missouri, and at the Nevada Northern.  All four cars are former Illinois Central electric commuter trailers.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions