CSXT 8077 and 2702 were recently removed from HeritageUnits, but I thought these two units were to retain their namesakes. 8077 is the Colonel Philip Hooper and 2702 is the Spirit of Atlanta / Franklin M. Garrett. A photo was posted of 8077 with damage, but that photo was from 2005. Does anyone know what is going on with these two? Are they going to become part of the SD40-3 and the GP40-3 rebuilds? Any info is appreciated. Thanks,
-NS6770Fan
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NS66770fan, Wow, the name Colonel Phil Hooper rang my bell, he was a good friend of mine, we attended church together In Dickson Tennessee and Yes, he gave me an L&N Calendar from 1977 until he passed away. He liked the big trains but also enjoyed watching the post war trains run to. After he passed away I have received a CSX and other calendars from other folks at the Radnar Yard office. CSX did not make 2019 calendars, sad but true. I hope those in the know will answer your Questions. Phil Hooper was a Gentleman and retired Officer....Great Question. Happy Railroading
Having lived near Nashville on and off since 1969, I was familiar with Colonel Hooper. He was the one that talked to the local media about matters that were railroad related. I remember several times local TV stations would interview him about everything from the state of the industry, to operations at Radnor Yard and, of course, derailments. I was always curious if he had actually been in the military and attained the rank of colonel. Sometimes, especially in the south, former military men were still called by their rank after they had retired as a sign of respect.
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