When did the IC change its paint scheme from the orange and white to the death star? Im asking this because i already have an orange and white SD40 and the death star version is coming out in September. I would like to run them together. BTW i model the BN from 1982 to 1993.
I have a book that says this. I need to skim over it. But somwhere along the line IC changed there name to Illinois Central Gulf, which was the orange and white. Then they wound up dropping the Gulf. It’s somthing like that. Give me some time to look at that book.
Ok here’s what happened. Under new managment, in 1966 IC unveiled it’s Orange and White scheme. In it’s name was Illinois Central Gulf because they mergered with Gulf Mobile and Ohio. In 1987 they dropped the gulf and brought back the IC black.
I do not have the exact dates, but here is the basic order:
Frt - Basic Black with White pin stripes and the green diamond logo
Passenger - Orange/Brown(this lasted until Amtrak in 1971)
In the mid 60’s the IC started rebuilding old GP7/9 engines and started the Orange/White paint scheme. This basic paint scheme was used all the way through the ICG merger in the 70’s.
As the ICG retrenched, they went to a Grey with Orange diagonal safety stripe paint scheme. Further retrenching saw ex-GM&O lines be sold off as well as the ‘Iowa Division’(became the Chicago Central & Pacific). This happened in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
Further restructuring wound up with a name change back to the Illinois Central and the Black ‘Death Star’ paint scheme. Eventually the ‘Iowa Divison’ was bought back, the CC&P was merged back into the system. IIRC, this happened in the late 80’s/early 90’s…
Eventually the CN bought the IC and the rest is history.
Jim
I lived in Kankakee, IL during most of this. In '67, the Orange and white GP7s and 9s started to show up- mostly with the Precision Air Filters(GP10s). In 1972, the GM&O merger occurred and the ‘gulf’ was added. In 1987, the ‘Gulf’ was dropped.