Doc - I think you and I are the only ones on the forum and possibly in the world that think the Ugly Orange paint scheme stinks. Of all the colors in the spectrum, what made them come up with “Shriek Orange” is beyond me.
And I don’t want to hear that it is to be noticed. I see NS every so often and it never fails to get my attention.
Cheap I can understand - they really did get what they paid for…
Train watching on the Q-Racetrack is becoming a GE Pumpkin Parade, with Warbonnets and even the Heritage green SD70mac’s being a much welcomed sight. I haven’t seen a Bluebonnet all summer. I’ve noticed quite a few coal trains with an ES44AC paired with an SD70mac.
Last Friday morning I was in ‘just one more train mode’ when the Pacer Stack train came through with 8 newer UP units on the head end. This is a UP run-through that normally has 2 or 3 UP SD70M’s, but this lashup seemed to have just about 1 of everything, although only 2 or 3 were running. I’ve also been seeing what I suspect is a CN run-through, usually with a BNSF unit in front of 2 CN units.
IMHO the SantaFe Warbonnet is so well known, I’m amazed BNSF didn’t stick with it or something closer to it.
I agree on the ugliness of the orange. However we’re stuck with it, probably for our lifetime. Unless we want to chip in and pay to repaint all of BNSF’s units.[swg]
I couldn’t download the photo of the bluebonnet, but if it’s the gold and blue warbonnets, I think they look very good. And they must rainwash very well because most of them I see are clean looking. And I can see the BNSF from my back porch.
This was discussed on another thread, and someone pointed out the cost of repaint jobs. That’s why I said we’re stuck with them.
The new BNSF pumpkin swoosh scheme is butt-ugly, comparable to KCS’s gray dip jobs. I liked the dark bluish-green w/white band (Grinstein green?) better. Even Cascade green is better. Can’t believe a RR with the rights to the Santa Fe warbonnet or bluebonnet schemes had the dismal lack of taste to use the pumpkin scheme.
Have no fear the knee jerk BNSF will repaint them some other color or drop the swoosh for some other logo.
I am tempted to send a note to Matt Rose reminding him Orange and green was Rocky the goats scheme and the gods of railroading forbid that be used on them Sani Flush boys units!!
Bring back the Q’s Black Birds! Blue Gn’s or Mandarin Friscos!!!But please oh please drop the ugly orange.
That said, I think that the BNSF paint scheme is very sharp, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Remember, these units are not all orange - if they were, I would agree that they would look somewhat strange. It’s the yellow and black/green with the orange that makes the paint scheme. Let’s face it - Orange, yellow and black IS the BNSF, just like black & white is the Norfolk Southern. It’s their paint scheme, and it is very neat, because it’s unique from all the others.
Frankly I wonder how anybody can see one of those shiny new ES44’s or SD70ACe’s in BNSF Heritage III and not think “what a sharp locomotive!”
BNSF’s orange and black scheme is the perfect set up for merger with the Bessemer & Lake Erie. [;)]
I thought the orange and green scheme wasn’t that bad, but black paint must be cheaper than green. My main gripe is that swoosh logo. It looks acceptable on a locomotive’s flanks, but not on the front end. And it does not look good on rail cars. The road should have stuck with the Santa Fe-style oval hearald with BNSF initials in the middle to put on the front end of their locomotives.
You guys and gals are all confused. It is the MILW Heritage scheme.[:D] Yellow for the after 1955 passenger trains, and the gray is from the 1940s FTs and E6s and E7s, before the orange-black-maroon.
This past Sunday afternoon some of us foamers were fanning out at the BNSF Eola Yard and the U-Man stopped by to chat with us for a moment or two. He was a young guy in his late twenties or so and he actually (perhaps mockingly) apologized for the “crummy looking motors” they are currently using to do yard work (at that moment a EMD leaser along with a BNSF GP30 and an old ATSF GP40-2 were doing the work in front of us)…all I had to say to him was not to apologize in that “any train is a good train”…he agreed and went on his way.
Snickers snorts guffaws!!! Hmm IHB huh? Makes sense Carl as lately GALIHB crews say they have been getting in quick!Their DS and crews are happy to see us! Plus closer than trying to merge with the B&LE!!
So does this mean all our power ill be getting them fancy screens in our side windows?