I do not care for the BNSF and I am considering modeling the present day as if the merger did not happen. I understand that there are economic reasons that they merged and I accept that. All of the economic factors aside, If I were to paint ATSF SD70M and SD70ACe units should them in superfleet or the blue and yellow warbonnet. I have always liked the blue and yellow warbonnet better but I want to hear your thoughts. I have the same question for the Burlington Northern. Should I paint them in the white face scheme, the executive scheme, or the tiger stripe scheme. I am just curious what others think.
I have thought about paint BN AC units in the executive scheme and DC units in either white face or tiger stripe.
If you wanted to follow pre-BNSF motive power policies this would probably be the path to follow: ATSF would have bought SD70M-2’s and painted them in red/silver warbonnet. BN would have bought SD70ACe’s and painted them the same as the SD70MAC’s.
Just noticed your post on BNSF and earlier paint schemes. I agree completely about the merger. What a waste of irreplaceable corporate imagery from both railroads! I model 1983 BN, the final year of the classic BN Cascade Green scheme with no modifications. I, too, like the more modern power and have a Genesis SD75I which will be getting the BN original scheme, and am now waiting on an undecorated SD70ACe, to be painted into the classic scheme as well. That’s BN as it should be!
They would have been red warbonnets. They even did the GP-60s in silver. But consider this - it is the era for historical retro - how about a Heritage fleet with zebra stripe, original blue & cream, cigar band, and book end units?
My least favorite of the bunch, well except for that silver with yellow warbonnet they experimented with.
To me that one is easy. Tiger stripe was tried and already abandon. They had just adopted the executive scheme. They would have continued it.
That is the practical answer, on the other hand, talk about cool fodder for a Heritage fleet…pine tree, canoes, Loewy green, two tone green, big sky blue, empire builder, simplified empire builder, black bird, china red, pine tree, silver, mineral red, SP&S mustard, BNML orange, Frisco orange, Frisco black & yellow…
I may well be mistaken about this but I don’t believe that Santa Fe had ordered anything delivered in the blue and yellow warbonnet in the five or more years preceeding the merger with BN.
one of the cool things is being able to bend history anyway you want to , and the boogers who took away the Santa Fe cannot stop you. I did a Rio Grande Southern C420 , i just know they should still be around today.
I read somewhere that the BN merged with the ATSF because of the string of UP mergers. UP had just got the CNW and was in talks with the SP (which also contained the DRGW).
The executive scheme would be the most likely if the merger never took place. The tigers were gone by the time the SD70MACs came out. The whiteface was last used on the SD60M, but was phased out by the executive SD70MACs (although a modified white face was used on some spartan cab hood units)
Santa Fe would have probably been the superfleet scheme
I found this little tidbit of history when the Rio Grande Southern filed for petition for abandonment in 1952
The court responds to Fuller’s petition of Nov 13th, allowing the railroad to suspend operations and apply for abandonment. The actual order includes a tender tribute to the railroad and its employees. It reads, in part: “The faithful service of its many employees who have consistently overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles to keep this railroad running, in spite of the serious difficulties present by the rugged terrain, frequent floods, snow slides and inadequate facilities attending such operatiosn, is to be particularly commended. On behalf of the people of the State of Colorado and the citizens of the San Juan Basin, the Court wishes to express its appreciation to these railroad men, both past and present, who throughout the life of this railroad have given of their time and effort, frequently far beyond the call of duty, in making this operation possible and in continuing to run the railroad for many years beyond the point at which under ordinary circumstances it would have been necessary to cease operations.” Later, after giving some financial figures, it continues: "These circumstances have forced the Court relunctantly to reach teh conclusion that the continued operations of this historic narrow-gauge railroad is no longer economically feasible and that the
If you are modeling 2010, it’s quite feasible that one or both of those corporations would have come up with something more modern by now. It could fun to google recent logo designs and then try to come up with “experiemental” schemes for 21st century BN and ATSF.
If it was me doing what you want to do then I would go with Cascade Green and white face cheeks. I always have loved the green and would stick with it no matter what. Then again MRL SD70ACe units look great with the nose stripes so maybe a BN one would look great too.
Looking at the date in the upper left hand corner of the posts, it seems like the poster who started this thread asked his question 4 years ago (in 2006).
It seems fairly likely that he in the four years since has decided on how to paint his engines, and thus no longer is waiting for new advice on this subject …
If I did this, I’s do BN in the Executive scheme and the ATSF in Warbonnet. BNs executive scheme is my favorite considering there weren’t many paint schemes for BN.
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