When did CNJ start painting equipment like B&O's dark bl

When did CNJ start painting their engines in a blue in the same style the B&O was using? and why?

=otto=

The first time I saw this was in 1968 (I think) when the GP-40P's replaced the Trainmasters, and probably had something to do with the fact that B&O owned or controlled the CNJ. Also, take a look at NJT 4100-4112 and notice that the bells are mounted high up on the hood behind the cab, B&O style.

I believe it was December 1968 but there were residual cars that didn't get the new B&O color scheme until 1969 and as late as 1971 there were still cars without the B&O scheme.

Did the B&O actually have a controlling interest in the CNJ, or did the CNJ just *think* they were owned by the B&O? I heard that they were trying to court the B&O as a possible merger partner during that period.

-otto-

The B&O did have some amount of control over the CNJ, but so did the Reading. If you take this one step farther you can add the remains of the L&NE to that list, which was owned by CNJ. Another question would be how much control did the C&O have in this?

Actually, the B&O had some control over the Reading, which in turn had some control over the CNJ. It could well be that the B&O was considering some takeover of CNJ for its Northern New Jersey access to New York, but since it wasn't in that great shape itself(C&O was controlling B&O), wasn't crazy about CNJ's finances and commuter burden. Whew!

So basically in the early 70's the Chessie System which was made up of Seaboard and Western Maryland controlled the C&O which in turn controlled the B&O and then THEY controlled the Reading which in turn controlled the CNJ??......I think I got it right?

Hold on there! The first part isn't right. In about 1969, Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Line merged to form Seaboard Coast Line. They then merged with L&N and Clinchfield into the "Family Lines". The B&O control of RDG and RDG's control of CNJ goes 'way back. In the 1970's, B&O, C&O and WM merged into the Chessie System, then merged with the Family Lines to become CSX. By the way, Chessie wanted to merge with RDG, but the unions put the kybosh on it. I don't they got such a good deal with Conrail, but to this day union members swear that Chessie would have screwed them!

The CNJ in the 1960's was a good tax write down for the READING and the B&O.It was a great way to access the Centrals huge traffic base yet hold the railroads costly terminal operations at arms length from the B&O's balance sheets. Old time CNJ men I knew swear the CNJ was making money on freight. However when the CNJ wanted to buy anything, the RDG and B&O would charge them triple. The Blue CNJ paint scheme came into being after the B&O leased them switchers and later SD-40s with the B&O logo painted over and replaced with Miss Liberty.Finance wise the B&O had a controlling interest in the READING and the RDG controlled the CNJ. One shop foreman told me the RDG sold the Eport shop some brooms and charged the CNJ 100 dollars apiece, a huge sum in 1965.The new passenger GP-40p's were delivered numbered and painted into the C&O / B&O blue paint scheme just in case The State of NJ/ DOT reneged on the deal. The always crafty B&O would just pull the steam generators and slip them into their road freight pool.