Atlantic Coast Line "501;The Champion" License Plate
- 6" x 12" .030 Gauge Aluminum
- Includes 4 Mounting Slots & 1/2" Radius Rounded Corners
- UV Protective coating to Prevent Fading
- Image is reproduction - final product might differ slightly
- Made in America
Atlantic Coast Line #501 is a preserved diesel locomotive at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. It is notable for being the only surviving EMC E3.
The locomotive spent its career pulling the Champion. In the 1980s, the engine operated on the Wisconsin Western Railroad, a short-lived heritage railway. It is currently operating at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (reporting mark ACL) is a former U. S. Class I railroad from 1900 until 1967, when it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Much of the original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986.
The Atlantic Coast Line served the Southeast, with a concentration of lines in Florida. Numerous named passenger trains were operated by the railroad for Florida-bound tourists, with the Atlantic Coast Line contributing significantly to Florida's economic development in the first half of the 20th century.
At the end of 1925 ACL operated 4,924 miles of road, not including its flock of subsidiaries; after some merging, mileage at the end of 1960 was 5,570 not including A&WP, CN&L, East Carolina, Georgia, Rockingham, and V&CS. In 1960 ACL reported 10,623 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 490 million passenger-miles