U23B #2312 in first blue dip scheme (January 1978)

Here is a shot of G.E. U23B #2312 in the first version of the blue dip scheme. The lack of yellow nose and silver trucks are the giveaway. Even though the slide is only dated "January," the year has to be 1978 because it is shown in the first version of the scheme in 1977 and by mid-1978 it was repainted in the second version with yellow side sills and yellow nose.

Very few D&H engines survived into 1984 wearing the first, original blue dip scheme. Most were either spruced up with the second (yellow nose) or third (yellow chevron) schemes or else repainted into lightning stripes. The only two that come to mind are RS11s #5002 and #5007.