For all you Guilford/B&M/MEC/ST fans out there, looks like the first Guilford loco to be repainted in the new PanAm scheme has appeared in Waterville, ME. Per the posting on the site, this appears to be MEC 505 which I believe is a GP40?
Here’s the shot http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=2006110410452926070.jpg
Is that the same blue as the B&M Minuteman scheme ?
Nope, it looks lighter than the B&Ms “minuteman” scheme, which faded very quickly and thus fooling many of us. This blue is close to the "Bluebird scheme"circa 1957, which came on the B&Ms GP9s and GP18s. Pan Am was noted for having white as its primary color, but on a locomotive white is not practical, especially in New England!
Looks pretty good… Anything is better than the old scheme.
Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
It’s missing the logo. The Pan Am globe should be on the nose, then it looks good.
It looks terrific, the blue and the black remind me of GN’s Big Sky Blue scheme.
A Pan Am locomotive. Hmmm. I grew up in the 1960s. At best it just feels weird to see a Pan Am locomotive. At worst, it’s just plain wrong! [2c]
For those with long memories, this is a case of turnabout is fair play. North Central Airlines, later renamed Republic Airlines and since absorbed by Northwest, was originally Wisconsin Central Airlines and was established by the railroad of the same name. Northeast Airlines (“Yellowbirds”), merged into Delta in the late 1960’s, was originally Boston-Maine Airways, owned by B&M. The situation with Ontario Northland is a bit different since it is a provincially owned entity, but it also provided local air service under the name NorOntAir.
Too bad they used block letters for “MEC” and 505. Otherwise it’s a step forward. Would the blue color be PanAm airplane blue?
Do they have any passenger cars left? They could make up a Flyer. [:D]
Pan Am, This is the only Company the went form an Airline to a Railroad Co. I wonder if terrorists will blow a train off a bridge like they did with a Pan Am 747 over Lockerbee, Scotland
Sorry. Don’t like the whole thing. Pan Am was an airline and this Guilford turning into this stuff is just messed up. this is not a pretty sight on the rail scene, especially for what is essentially the only big railroad into New England.
It may not be right, but it sure adds some color to the landscape. 440cuin is correct though, put the world map herald on the nose.
Its a Guilford GP40 rail-smurf unit
Reminds me of the rail-smurf locomotives and cars the old Rock Island cranked out in its last days.
I have to agree with Don…[#ditto][#ditto]
One small step for mankind; one giant step for PAPPA SMURF![oX)][:o)][:o)]
The paint scheme itself beats out Guilford’s by a lot, but still…I agree with everyone above who’s mentioned how much of an abomination calling it Pan-Am Railway is.
You can paint it, you can logo it, you can shinify it all day long. At the bottom line, Guildford is still Guildford, no matter how thick the paint they put on is.
I’m a bit confused here. I know Guilford purchased what was left of PanAm Airlines a while back, and the purchase included rights to the PanAm name. So… what’s the point of renaming Guilford for a legendary, but long gone airline?[%-)]
Technically, if you’re going to apply the PanAm name to a railroad, you might as well have a few of EMD’s F69PH locomotives complete with matching passenger cars. [2c] With the F69’s body style, all you need is a pair of wings attached the loco’s sides, and the thing could probably fly! [(-D]
Picture of a box car
