I got my Rio Grande DVD today (AMAZING) and discovered that in 1986 Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt had the same color sheme. Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific also had the same color sheme. Are they related in some way?
Yes. The Cotton Belt had been owned by the SP since the 1910s and was retained as a subsidary until the UP Merger.
As for the UP and Mopac both having Armor Yellow that was some how a result of the 1982 Merger, I do not know all the details. But I get the impression that at the time of the Merger, all the locomotives MOPAC had on order at the time of the merger arrived in UP colors but wearing the MOPAC name.
James
Wait 'til you get a chance to ride the train through the Royal Gorge. It is amazing!
Tom
Recently took the train ride through the Royal Gorge over the hanging bridge. Wow is right.
Yes, it was called a merger but the UP bought out the MP in 1982. Before that time the Missouri Pacific had beautiful blue paint schems. The original plan was that the MP, UP, and WP would remain separately operated so the units were to be painted the same yellow with different lettering. That lasted a very short time. It also might have had something to do with the executives that came over from the MP managment trying to do away with the steam program, tear down the historical roundhouse in Cheyenne, and a few other “non-union pacificish” things. It was only a coincedence that the president of the company just happened through town right before the Cheyenne Roundhouse was to be razed, and saved it.