I wish the modern railroads, the successor railroads, would paint some of their locos and rolling stock in the liveries and colors of their ancestor / acquisition railroads. It would be a lot of fun to see old familiar liveries rolling again. I’m sure its a brand-image thing, but speaking strictly for a rail-fan, I have to say it would be kinda nice.
John
I’m rather glad they don’t paint any equipment in old colors - then we’d be restricted in how creative we could be in our own fantasy paint jobs, because suddenly there is a prototype to follow.
While I don’t run any modern era stuff, my self-generated layout story (and future history) have been established on the fringes of plausibility so that, if I choose so down the road, I could have modern locomotives done up in Monon black and gold, or some evolved vaiant (which I’ve also envisioned but never needed to pursue). Why have CSX decide to go retro with a few units and spoil our fun?
Jim
Well, actually it wouldn’t spoil your fun since if they did it, they’d be “proto-lancing” themselves. It would simply be their interpretation of what it might have been like-- since it wasn’t.
John
I suspect that CSX avoids “heritage” paint schemes, because they would really point up how dull their’s has become…
(actually, the current “dark future” scheme is very reminiscent of the C&O/B&O Merger Scheme…
but it would be nice to see a new SD70 wearing this…
Lee
With the exception of UP, all those post-merger railroads suffer from a lack of identification, IMHO. A prime example is BNSF, who gave up the signature SF war bonnet scheme, which was widely known way beyond the borders of the US, for a livery which is not really railroady, at least in my eyes.
UP just retained their old scheme, and “dumped” it onto the railroads they acquired. Although decades old, it still looks good to me and creates a high level of brand recognition.
Personally, I don´t think that “Heritage” paint schemes are of help. I´d rather buy my Athearn SD70MAC in the original paint scheme, than in any of those fake heritage paint jobs.
what do we have left? maybe half a dozen major railroads in the whole country? (it’s getting to be like a giant shopping mall full of walmarts) remember when a medium sized town or small city had that many or more? sad how so many of today’s modelers have never seen their favorite prototype in real life.
the mega roads of today really have little interest in the past. first thing they do is repaint everything they can to obliterate the memory of their aquisitions. even Uncle Pete with their steam and heritage operations seems to have stayed away from anything that wasn’t part of the original UP.
i have never forgiven their assault on model railroading with their phony attempt at licensing agreements. that is why i have gradually gotten rid of every piece of Union Pacific equipment on my layout.
grizlump (grouchy german)
CP has a few painted in the old maroon and grey; some F units for their passenger train and at least one GP something (I’m thinking GP38) as a helper for the Royal Hudson.
Most companies want to maintain a look that is unified across the operations, hence this lack of showing “history”. This applies to not only railways but any business really. And for some reason, when “heritage” paint schemes are brought out, they seem a to me a big disappointment. The UP’s I think could have been closer to the actual paint of the railway trying to be represented. My opinion only of course.
My ‘heritage’ colors:
Basic Black - steam and most freight cars
Grunge (a kind of brownish maroon) - most electric locomotives and passenger cars.
Monochrome red - some more modern electric locomotives.
Pastel green (!) - freight equipment designed for 100kph speeds.
Blue - passenger cars and a few classes of freight cars designed to exceed 100kph.
Only diesel-hydraulic locomotives and DMU are even a little bit colorful, grey over cream over traction orange. The very latest DMU have a little fancy paintwork around the front ends of the cab cars.
Some ‘stuffed and mounted’ JNR steam locomotives have oddities like red or blue paint in the flutes of the main and side rods - but none of mine are stuffed and mounted, so the rods are just dirty (oily) steel.
Modern Japanese color schemes are more colorful, if not outright strange. How about a yellow EMU car covered with cat faces and paw prints? Or catenary motors with the locomotive number painted down the side in speed-slant lettering almost as high as the flat area of the side? I won’t even go into the EMU set with cab ends that look like Darth Vader’s helmet…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)