R Ruiz Wrote:
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> This engine had been leased to the Pacific
> Electric when built. I do not know if it was
> lettered that way, but it did have a rare paint
> scheme. The SW900s were delivered in a modified
> version of the tiger stripe switcher scheme with
> the ends of the locomovtive painted silver. Pretty
> snazzy looking if you ask me.

I've never seen any documentation showing that any of the SW900s were ever lettered for PE. It might be related to the closure of PE's Torrance Shops. I've been told that the relettering of SP diesels that PE had leased earlier took place there.

I'm not sure that the so-called "road switcher" paint scheme the unit was delivered in could really be considered as being rare. Without actually taking the time to count unit for unit, over 200 units were delivered painted in the one or two versions of it (the two versions being that only the true switcher models had the solid orange stripe along the upper part of the hood; it was omitted on hood-type units that had the otherwise same basic paint scheme).

In any event, given the modifications done to the unit's light packages, the stack change and the replacement of the train indicators with Houston-designed number boards, painting the unit scarlet and grey would be the most historically accurate match for the way it looks now. Of course, PLA's Howard Wise can do some amazing work marking units look the way they used to, so we'll see.