Why would a railroad change from a paint scheme called “Bright Future” to a scheme called “Dark Future”? Don’t get me wrong, I like the Paint Scheme and I understand that it keeps a cleaner apperance longer and it is more cost effective but “Dark Future”? Did the railroad come up with this name or is it a nickname created by railfans? What am I not seeing?[%-)]
I agree especially after the artical in “TRAINS” about CSX seeking a silver bullet![D)]
Um, its not an official name… Its a railfan thing…[banghead]
Is “Bright Future” a railfan thing too?
Read this-
http://www.bullsheet.com/news/paintlegacy.html
And look at
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/html/CSXSchemes.html
yes.
Well, now I know. Thanks
From my understanding, the “dark future” nickname was one of several and not the first.
One also circulating that was a bit comical was “C&O wannabe”, which is my favorite. The dark future name sounds depressing.
Just my 2 cents.
Call the new CSX scheme “Back to the 1960’s”.
That is what it looks like, a return to the paint schemes B&O and C&O applied to Locomotives in the 1960’s.
This new CSX scheme may mean that we are caught in a causality loop which will tighten, causing the end of time as we know it.
Andrew Falconer
I like the “dark future” colors, but I liked the “bright future” scheme better, with the wrap-around yellow. It looked a little more fit and finished.
I believe the first time I read the term “dark future” was in Allen Brougham’s Bull Sheet. In his CSX roster sheet, he refered to it as YN3 (Yellow Nose 3), which emerged from the paint shops around 2002. I Think it’s a handsome paintscheme, especially when new, and looks great on the ES44’s.
[#ditto][#ditto][banghead][banghead]
dittio dittio
CSX calls it YN3 (Bright Future was YN2), just like on BNSF its not the powerbar its H3. Its a railfan play on words since the piror paint was called Bright Future.
Come on people…
The reasoning behind the Bright Future scheme was actually to reflect the merger of Seaboard and Chessie, again hence the name C for chessie, S for seabord and X for multiplied and because it looks cool or something.
Anyways, the Bright Futrue scheme was actually a heritage scheme with Family Lines confederate gray, C&O yellow and B&O blue (actual shades may vary) being used. Or at least that’s what CSX said…
Personally I think it’s always been about Cost vs. Unit Image. Bright Future looked good, but it looks very corporate and agreable. Norfolk Southern, CSX’s evil arch nemesis, has a very aggressive looking all black with white graphics scheme that is very high visiblity and high contrast. the CSX logo, especially in bad weather or on dirty engines (although CSX is rather good about cleaning) blends into the gray a bit, and isn’t as visable over distance.
Now that CSX is also competing largely with Canadian National (another railroad with a high-contrast paint scheme) they felt they needed to keep up. So the Dark Future sceme with it’s high-contrast gold on blue was designed (with the interm step being the yellow lettered CW60AC units)
Cheers!
~METRO
Thanks for explaning it!