Does anyone know what time Great Northern repainted their SD45’s into the big sky blue paint scheme. Every picture I’ve seen dating to 1969 shows them in the big sky blue paint scheme. Did GN 400 ever get painted into it?
The Big Sky Blue paint scheme didn’t last very long, the BN merger put an end to that. I’ll be interested to hear the details, but I think it was only around for 3 or 4 years max. Maybe '66 thru '70 ? That is one of my favorite colors.
THE BIG SKY BLUE DID LAST ON PASSNEGER CARS AND PASSENGER UNTIS UNTIL AMTRAK OR THE RAINBOW ERA
What I meant Doggy, was that no more equipment was painted Big Sky Blue after the BN merger which was pre Amtrak. Amtrak was May 1, 1971, but I forget the date of the BN merger, and don’t feel like looking it up.
Yes, plenty of blue paint was running around, long after Cascade Green became the color of choice.
Burlington Northern merger date was March 2, 1970. Big Sky Blue started in about 1966 or 1967. I believe that the SDP40’s and the first order of SD45’s were painted in Omaha orange but I don’t know about repaint dates.
Yes, there were SD45 units in Big Sky Blue, and I have also seen some F45 units in same scheme. Loved it!