PC: Lightning stripes in the PC era?

[Jerry Jordak <jer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

In HO scale, Atlas has recently released their RS3 and RS11 models in
New York Central, but only in "lightning stripe" paint. While I wish
that they would also release a "cigar band" version that would be
appropriate to use on an early Penn Central-era layout, I got to
wondering: were there any NYC locomotives still sporting their
"lightning stripes" in 1968 or 1969? Anyone ever recall seeing a photo
of or in person any such engines? I'm trying to determine if I could
get away with, prototypically, buying and running a "lightning stripe"
Alco on my future 1969-era layout. Obviously, I wouldn't be able to
assemble a fleet of striped power, nor would they be in pristine paint
(I'd probably weather it up pretty good first).

I saw one photo on George Elwood's NYC locomotive page 
(http://www.dnaco.net/~gelwood/other/nyc-loco.html) of a pair of F7s
in 1969 still wearing stripes, so it appears there were two that made
the merger. I'm just trying to get a feel how many more there were
out there, so I can justify either buying or not buying that striped
RS11 that keeps calling my name at the hobby shop each month... :-)

Thanks,
-Jer

-- 
Jerry W. Jordak                   It's not the trains that amaze me--
mailto:jer@smellycat.com          it's the fish heads.
http://prozac.cwru.edu/jer/                       -- Mark Bailey
Acts 16:31   <><