Eastern Railroad Discussion > One owner 1951 build GP7 and CSX R439-25

Aberdeen and Rockfish purchased a brand new GP7 back in October of 1951, it's 3rd diesel locomotive.  205 is reported the only one owner GP7 in existence, still has its steam generator (not operable), and reportedly has never been rebuilt, still having its original rods and main bearings.  The unit has been retired and donated to the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer.

At 515pm Wednesday March 25, we catch the R439 "mine shifter" highballing north through downtown  Aberdeen with another cut of empties for the quarry in Lemon Springs, while 205 hangs out on the interchange track awaiting pickup by ACWR who will haul to Charlotte for NS to take to Spencer.   ACWR Aberdeen interchange job has been running after dark past couple weeks, so I don't know if I'll be able to document it's final farewell.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/26 16:34 by scraphauler.

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It got ditch lights somewhere on the way!
Looks little compared to the road power on the empty hoppers.
Gonut

Rock and roll.  That is very smooth mainline there.  That's really neat about 75 years one owner GP7 , a little old lady only used it to go to church on Sunday.

Great catch.  Can you tell us where the cars will go once loaded?  They look like interesting cars.  Are they hoppers or gons?
jb

boejoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great catch.  Can you tell us where the cars will
> go once loaded?  They look like interesting
> cars.  Are they hoppers or gons?
> jb

Rapid Discharge aggregate hoppers.  Shuttle from Martin Marietta quarry in Lemon Spring (just outside Sanford) to Martin Marietta distribution yard in Castle Haynes (just outside Wilmington NC).  Used to be that loaded train was B427, empty train was B439, and it ran as needed, anywhere from 3 to 5 days a  week.  Then about 6 weeks ago it changed - the trains on the Wilmington sub between Hamlet went to a daily Monday thru Saturday schedule keeping the B series Bulk Train symbol, while the piece on the Aberdeen Sub between Hamlet and Sanford became a daily, Monday-Saturday R series Mine Shifter symbol, running as R439 both directions.  Same train quarry to distribution yard, just changes symbol at Hamlet. Even though it's profiled 6 days a week, it doesn't necessarily run 6 days a week, and times are all over the place. 

L619/L620 Hamlet-Raleigh pair also handles same type of cars plus gons from Vulcan Material up in Henderson NC to a distribution center near Charleston SC. Here's Tuesday's L619 in Southern Pines (slow speed was from running on approach signal from R439 ahead). 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/26 20:08 by scraphauler.

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As it turns out, ACWR ran a grain train earlier today which altered schedules causing last nights local to run about 12 hours later than normal, meaning I did if fact catch the movement of 205.  Seen here in Pinehurst NC at 235pm, Thursday March 26

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Great catch.  
Thanks for the additional info on the aggregate cars.