Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern Railroad has unveiled commemorative MLW M-420W No. 2026, repainted at the railroad’s Utica, N.Y., shop in a red, white, and blue scheme honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Formerly MHWA 2042, the locomotive carries a design that blends several elements of Genesee Valley Transportation heritage. The basic striping takes inspiration from the unit’s previous British Columbia Railway-style paint scheme, while the lettering and “Radio Equipped” graphic reference Erie-Lackawanna’s Bicentennial scheme of 1975.

MA&N began operations more than 30 years ago with locomotives acquired from BC Rail, and today continues to recognize that heritage with C-425 2455 in a two-tone green scheme. No. 2026 was built for British Columbia Railway in 1973 as No. 642 and was acquired by GVT in 1997. The locomotive also appeared in the 1999 made-for-television film Atomic Train.

The rebuilt M-420W can be seen in freight service on the CSX main line between Utica and Rome, N.Y., where MA&N trains can operate at speeds up to 50 mph.

Founded in 1990, Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern, a subsidiary of Genesee Valley Transportation, operates 112 miles of former New York Central trackage acquired from Conrail, including the line between Utica and Lyons Falls, the Rome Spur, and the route from Carthage to Newton Falls in central and northern New York.

—Otto M. Vondrak