The locomotive that was numbered 666

[SyntaxVorlon]

If you turn it upsidedown it can fly over interstellar distances.
[end arcane anime reference.]

I'm surprised people are so cautious over a superstition that is based on a fucking translation typo.

[Jadeite]

If you turn it upsidedown it can fly over interstellar distances.
[end arcane anime reference.]

Galaxy Express 999! I haven't seen that in years, only saw it once in fact, on sci-fi. Such a fucked up anime.

[Medicus]

Numbering superstitions can be found anywhere, there is no operating room 13 in one of the hospitals where I work, and in another the L+D room 13 is never used (besides for storage). I believe that the Rio in Las Vegas is missing ten floors, either all of the 30s or 40s, can't remember right now.

This is simply sound business practice, if people hate and refuse to buy a product in a certain color, would you continue to manufacture that color? Likewise, if you know that a significant amount of people may refuse to stay in a room 13, why have one?

[Ma Deuce]

howbout making every railcar with 4 numbers? aka 0666 instead of straight. Especially in that southern rail one, there's a big engine 666 and an engine of the same type named like 1706... what's with that? suddenly changing to 4 digit codes? Give ol' 666 a new zero.

Many freight locomotives actually do have 4-digit road numbers, but most freight railcars (at least in North America) usually have 5 or 6 digit numbers (4 digit road numbers on railcars are rare).

Now, about those two locomotive in the third pic, Although they look similar (because they were built by the same company, GE), they are NOT of the same type: Without going into too much technical detail, the lead engine is a newer and more powerful model than the second one.
Here is a side shot of one of CSXT #666's "twins"
Here is a side shot of one of the second engine's "twins"

You may have noticed that 666's twin is numbered 5001. The reason for that is, after that model of locomotive reached 699, they had to bump all subsequent examples of that model to 5000, because they already had locomotives occupying the 700s, 800s, 900s, and quite a few others. Numbering schemes to not necessarly start at 1. They simply pick a rounded (almost never above 4 digits) number for the first example of a specific locomotive type, and keep working up from that number until thay stop buying that particular model of locomotive. For each different locomotive model, they can set the starting point at any number (either arbitrary or based on some other factor, like the year the series started in) they desire, assuming it's not already taken.

Now enough of my primping over my knowledge of railroads and trains .

Back on topic, I do not believe that simply putting a zero befor the 666 will make a difference in the eyes of fundies, since it still has the same mathematical value. But given how railroad numbering schemes are determined (as explained above), it is quite possible for a railroad to avoid the number 666 altogether. However, this would have been small a problem for CSX, who unlike any other railroad actually have a "flagship locomotive", which is numbered 1 (it even has a name, the "Spirit of West Virginia"). CSX 666 is part of a series that began at 1 (even though CSX #1 is a different model than CSX 666). However I do not see avoiding the number 666 to be problem for any other railroad...

[LadyTevar]

I don't see whaat 13 as an unlucky number has to do with christians. In the Middle Ages, in Romanian Principates, 13 was the number of the High Councill members (12 nobils and the voievode) in ressemblance of Jesus and the 12 Apostles..

Thirteen is the number of participants in a witches' coven, hence there are the inevitable "Satanic" associations.

Actually, I heard the Unlucky 13 comes from the fact that the 13th Apostle was Judas Iscariot, the Betrayer.
The idea of 13 participants in a Witches Sabbat came from the WitchHunters of the Medieval Ages, to further comdemn witches and pagans in the eyes of 'good Church-going Men'.

[Col. Crackpot]

[ozzie ozzborne] i'm goin' off the rails on the crazy train! [ozzie ozzborne]

[Knife]

I don't see whaat 13 as an unlucky number has to do with christians. In the Middle Ages, in Romanian Principates, 13 was the number of the High Councill members (12 nobils and the voievode) in ressemblance of Jesus and the 12 Apostles..

Thirteen is the number of participants in a witches' coven, hence there are the inevitable "Satanic" associations.

Tis also supposedly unlucky (via Friday the 13th) because thats when Philipe (iirc) had the Templar Knights destroyed. So in a Christian context, it is a number/day where a christian king and a christian pope conspired to destroy a christian insitution.