The Cape May Seashore Lines in southern New Jersey have once again acquired a former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines GP38, joining two others from leasing companies.

This one definitely qualifies for the railroad definition of "boomer" (roving employee skipping from RR to RR), as it has served P-RSL, Penn Central, Conrail, North Louisiana & Gulf, Iowa Interstate, and most recently in the GMTX short-term lease fleet.

The CMSL also has two other former P-RSL GP38s on the property, however I'm unclear as to whether they are still leased from GMTX or now owned outright.

And, yes, that sparse, "boring" black paint with a small decal is exactly what they looked like in 1967-68!

https://www.seashorelines.org/Passenger/2000

So here's a question - and I "think" I know the answer, but could be completely wrong. If the RR has entered into a locomotive lease, short-term, long-term any kind - can they repaint the locomotive? Or do they have to outright own it in order to do that?

I have seen evidence of it happening, but it probably isn't a good idea financially. For example, the short-lived Chicago, Missouri and Western (ex-Alton/GM&O in Illinois and Missouri) had ex-WP GP-40s from GATX and ex-PC GP38s from Helm from the late 1960s only, and repainted one of each, in 1988 after the takeover. The lessor probably wouldn't care, because the paint on both of those classes was original and they had a lot of rust, save one GP40 that was famous for being repainted in UP colors but with the name Western Pacific on the hood. I believe all the GP40s ended up on Wisconsin Central, including the fancy CM&W red/maroon repainted one.

Not a good move by CM&W, one of many, including overpaying rent for those units, most of which were in poor shape, with traction motors and main generators failing constantly. I naively asked a former GM&O/ICG, then CM&W switchman what he thought of the "new" units when the CM&W first took over, thinking he would be happy not to have only Paducahs anymore, which ICG had sent over the week after the merger with GM&O, and took all the GM&O's good power. He said of the leasers: "They're junk, and they are going to get worse." And he was right.

There were 15 GP38's ordered from EMD by PRSL: 2000-2004, 2005-2009 and 2010-2014. All had dual control with extended cab, no dynamics and no cab signals. 2000-2009 were delivered to PRSL but 2010-2014 were diverted to PC, and operated in South Jersey on PRR lines that did not become PRSL in 1933. All 15 flowed to CR.

PRSL diesels had been all-Baldwin until 2000 arrived.

There was one other piece of PRR trivia. PRSL 2000 broke the last block of locomotives using PRR's pre-1923 numbreing system. You mean PRR HAD a numbering system before 1923? Yes they did and being PRR it was one no one else used. Engines were numbered in blocks depending on which subsidiary owned them. No subblocks or groups based on class or build date. PFW&C was 7000's (i.e. 7002 I); PCC&StL was 8000's (e.g. 8063, now 7002 II). PRR and RDG engines leased to PRSL retained their owners' numbers so E6s 460, 645 and 1600 did not receive PRSL numbers.

West Jersey and Seashore, later PRSL was 6000-6099 and PRSL stuck with it through the Baldwin diesels. 2000 was the first to break the series.

I found where I was thinking of: https://wmsr.com/our-locomotives/western-maryland-558

So, depending on the lease/length of the lease/terms, etc - it "could" be done. So can we ask CMSL to repaint either of those other leasers they have, out of the blue/white and red/white/blue schemes into PRSL paint? :P

How much are you contributing to the paint fund?

There are two ways of looking at this.
1) The CMSL, much as it fits as a "heritage operation" and they're deliberately going after actual former P-RSL rolling stock and working with URHS-NJ, is still ostensibly a for-profit freight operation (albeit seemingly barely). To a large extent, until they find a way to operate a more tourist-friendly operation (which probably involves the increasingly unlikely restoration of service to Cape May, sadly), they should run with what they have available that can be "consumed" and save the "authentic" power for preservation/heritage use.

2 )It was my understanding at one point (and it could be stupid rumor) that the GMTX power was a "lease-to-purchase" arrangement, with CMSL eventually taking ownership of the ex-P-RSL loco at least.

That depends - how much does it cost to paint a locomotive? (That’s an honest question as well, I don’t actually know.)

You get what you pay for.

I've been involved in a couple full loco repaints. One was a freight loco that is now about to be scrapped; another was a loco destined for "museum" display. (I also did some work for a while repainting a fleet of industrial equipment.)

"DuPont Imron" is the popular "buzz word" thanks to its well-publicized use years ago on some noted heritage units (most particularly PRR 4935 in 1977), but in truth there are several competitors as well in the two-part "catalyst" epoxy paint market. That stuff, whoever makes it, is full-out nasty, and you earn a lot of respect for the people who do it professionally, sweating away in full-body Kevlar suits and respirators. I could only tolerate it a few hours a week, even being paid for it, and thankfully you have to take breaks to keep mixing fresh batches. It sure doesn't "last forever" as claimed, but outdoes regular paint by a mile.

The freight loco we were painting got basically a version of automotive paint via spray guns, and sat outdoors full time after our work. It certainly wasn't a joy to behold, but I don't think it got repainted in the subsequent 25 or more years since. It could certainly use a new paint job now, but it's a victim of emissions credit trade-in (I think) and is destined to the scrapper--which would be a credit, except the crews insisted it was worn out as soon as it was put into service after repaint (it was an ex-Seaboard Coast Line GP16 rebuild, so it was on its third or fourth life already.......)