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Which marks are you referring to?
Lettering on the cab (under or above the number)
The ones above 4003 are correct.
RLHH is the AAR reporting mark for Southern Ontario Railway. SOR is incorrect. No debate required! PRH
Lettering on the 3049 is correct.
4003 is RLK not SOR….
Rlk no longer exists.
Let’s be clear. The American Association of Railroads gives reporting marks to railroads. If you want to interchange a car or engine in North America you need to follow the AAR rules. When Railink began operations on 1997 they were assigned RLHH which doesn’t make much sense now, but at that point it simply stood for Railink Hamilton Hagersville. Through a few names changes, this RR is now known as Southern Ontario Railway. That reporting mark has not changed. The name of the railroad could chamge many times without a reporting mark change. Mikwaukee Road kept it’s MILW reporting marks through many corporate name changes after various bankrupcies. 4003 is RLK 4003. Someone who obviously had no idea what they were doing a few years ago, went and put SOR initials on the cabs of most of the engines that were working SOR at the time. That doesn’t make it a proper reporting mark. RLK is actually the reporting mark for Ottawa Valley Railway. Hence why G&W has sub lettered the new repaints up there as RLK and not OVR.
A railway doesn’t need to be around for it’s reporting marks to be used. For example recently CN used NAR reporting marks on new tank cars they bought. Of course the Northern Alberta Railway hasn’t been around in ages, but since CN owned it, they own the rights to using the reporting mark.
Thanks for the info, but I already know all this. Working for the railroad for 35 years and nothing you said is new to me. I am very familar with AAR reporting marks thx.
Thanks for the detailed explanation rlk1752! Now to look up shots of NAR tank cars!
Great stuff guys – great debate. Now if we can get the young ones to pay attention..they might learn something
Well now I know what RLHH stands for. Perhaps AAR should change the reporting mark to SOR. Anyone agree?
Agreed JP
What would be the point of changing the reporting mark?
They’ve been RLHH since the railroad was formed and all of their new units have been arriving with RLHH programmed into their AEI chips.
They might be the Southern Ontario Railway but having the reporting mark as RLHH doesn’t affect anything in the long run.
It was just a suggestion. Reporting marks are changed by AAR when needed.
Too bad RA 4057 isn’t in the photo too.
RA 4057… RLK 4057 no? I wasn’t aware any engines, near here anyway, used RA reporting marks, but I stand to be corrected.
One oddity on G&W’s Canadian roads is GEXR 3821 – currently in Railtex paint – this engine had no reporting marks anywhere for many many years, and was (and still is) assigned to Stratford. Rarely ever left the property, and rarely led. For a while it was on 432/1, leading, and someone realized they needed to add reporting marks – so the GEXR logo & mark (with the knuckle) was added a few years ago.
However, the engine still traces at SLC 3821 to this day… transferred in 1999 from the Salt Lake City Southern Railroad (Reporting marks SL). Yes, this means the reporting marks were wrong when on its former assignment, and left that way all this time. All that to save what, $30 on reprogramming an AEI tag?
I call the engine GEXR 3821, as it would be identified by a crew… and likely written as such on locomotive paperwork
Of interest – application form for Reporting Marks. Costs $525 as of 2015 and is non refundable (if you are refused, you lose the money). Linked below:
https://www.railinc.com/rportal/alf_docs/MARK/MARKapplication.doc
The AAR doesn’t ‘change’ marks the railway has to apply for it. There’s a lot of other administrative garbage that goes on behind the scenes too.. locomotive paperwork, maintenance records, inspection records..
The fact remains – SOR has three locomotives with RLHH Stencilling on the cab – a year ago this was not the case, so the correct marks are being used on new arrivals or repaints.
An interesting discussion, thanks everyone.
- Steve
LOL @ Stephen. That sounds like when I applied for my Nexus. You pay up front and if you are refused, no refunds. Thanks for the useful info. Always nice to start a lively discussion.
The train crew would call themselves GEXR 431/432 when identifying themselves and are required to give the engine number and railroad identification. When I am driving my train and contact a foreman, even though its a CN locomotive if it has IC, GT, BCOL or any other reporting marks they must be used.