I’m in the midst of coming up with some slogans for my freelance road, and have been looking at some prototype examples. Some railroads really came up with catchy ones. Which is the best to you? Which ones are you using?
My vote for best in the prototype: “Southern Serves the South”. It’s just very cool, sums up the focus, flavor and is a great marketing tag. Of course, I have a growing fondess for the Southern.
I never got Tony Koester’s slogan for his much-publicized Allegheny Midland, “The Midland Road”. Doesn’t conjure much of anything. I know he was kicking off of the NKP thing though.
The first refers to geographic location, which always helps establish where your railroad goes. The second implies good service and transporation efficiency. Both ideas may help you with developing your own slogan.
I grew up with the Long Island Railroad outside of NYC. Not much freight, but they sure moved people. It’s still known as the “Route of the Dashing Commuter.” Here’s the logo I remember, featuring “Dashing Dan:”
Today, though, things have changed. I think this is “Dashing Dot:”
I would find it hard to beat “Mainstreet of the Northwest” - the slogan for the Northern Pacific. Only four words to tell where it went and how important it was to the region it served. In fact, the NP’s #2 passenger train (behind the North Coast Limited) was called “The Mainstreeter”.
To me, The Route of Phoebe Snow and Nickel Plate Road are two really cool slogans, but LIRR’s Route of theDashing Commuter really puts a picture in my head.
