by Jack Powell
3rd Gen. Brakeman wrote: RMNE/NAUG acquired the unit shortly after and placed it into service on the NAUG in 2003. It is the "newest" locomotive on the roster and is a historical piece in the respect that she is the very last one of her kind to be built.Yes - er, no - er, maybe. RMNE and NAUG are separate corporate entities, each with their own assets. I am not aware which of them actually acquired and now owns the locomotive in question (if either).
In any event, as far as I know 2203 is not intended to be accessioned into the RMNE collection, but was obtained as an expendable item of plant to be consumed through use, much as with the service fleet of ex-Canadian National coaches. Just as it is expected that in due course some of the ex-New Haven passenger cars may be available for occasional demonstration use, RMNE policy has been to limit use of locomotives in its core historical collection (like NH 529) by having 2203 available for everyday service. I am not aware of a published list of which items constitute the RMNE permanent collection and which are considered consumable, but the Collections Management Chairman or others may have that information available.
The fact that something may be "the very last one or her kind to be built" does not necessarily make it "historical." What significant role in history does a given item represent? For example, RMNE's ex-New Haven 2059 is not only the last-constructed FL9, but is the last F unit of any kind to be built. As such, along with the 1939-built FT demonstrator preserved at St. Louis, it serves to bracket an iconic 20th century industrial design that existed in familiar consciousness nationwide over a span of many years. As well, the mere fact that something is the first or last of its kind to be built may be a matter of interest, but in and of itself lacks context within a museum's collections scope and policy. Were this not the case, you might see RMNE scrambling today to obtain things like "the last MBTA F40" or whatever. Limitations on collection scope are driven by a variety of factors, including financial resources. The reality is that the biggest roof a museum can afford to built for the protection of its collection in perpetuity is still only so big.
Of course, an item that lacks particular significance at a given museum may have great historical significance in a different collections context. Just as over time the RMNE has seen to it that other items outside of its scope of collection had made their way to appropriate preservation homes elsewhere, it has been mooted that when 2203's economic life is over, it could be made available to a museum focused on the Conrail era. I think we can all rest assured, however, that for the foreseeable future 2203 will continue to carry out its current non-historical role at RMNE, and also see use in non-passenger NAUG service as and when the need arises.
FLRailFan1 wrote: Will 2203 be painted into Naugy's colors? By the way, what is their colors?As has been emphasized by the output of the Thomaston Shop over the last few years that has been featured in this forum, RMNE policy is to preserve items in a manner that presents their appearance at a given historical era (which could be reflected, more or less, in the way 2203 appears at present). As such, NAUG, the RMNE's operating subsidiary, has never had need for its own "colors" as this would be the antithesis of preservation. In the future, NAUG's freight operations could potentially require its own dedicated locomotives, which might be another matter altogether.
but it can never hurt to strive for accuracy, especially since it's beneficial to folks who read these forums who are still learning about diesel locomotive history.