Road name and slogan for my railroad.

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I want to proto-freelance my model railroad but interchange with SP, SSW, and T&NO, UP and Western Pac. I’m in California so I want it to be a Regional Line. I want to develop its own herald and livery. SoPac had as a logo with colors of Dark Blue (Navy) and Yellow. My logo will combine and image of the state of California and a Spin Off of SP’s logo.

Kicking around this name, “Golden State and Pacifice Raiway (GSPR)”. I really like the ring. This may be what I settle with.

But what do you think?

Slogans: “Move your freight with Golden State” or “California’s Gold Standard” or… any suggestions.

-Ron

Go Alcos.

2

Sounds great to me.

I like it. And the slogan “Move your freight with Golden State”.

Sometimes I think we tend to over-think these things. Go with your gut and your idea.

[8-|]

3

I would suggest running a quick spell check on the name before ordering decals.

Smile,
Stein

4

I lived in SoCal for 14 years before I joined the military, is your RR based in NoCal or SoCal? So I know the territory pretty well. You could go with the name: Northern California and Pacific Railway (NCPR). " Linking the Golden Shores of the Pacific" Just an idea for a name and slogan for what it’s worth.

For the colors and logo I would go with a “sunburst” color pattern. Have the colors burst from the nose of the engine in a bright yellow/orange and trail back down the sides adding red and white ( sorta of a Japanese symbol use the "rising sun’ type of sunburst ) The logo would have a circle with the name of the RR going around it in with the state of Cailfornia in the center, the state would be green with a white line following the coastline and the lettering of the RR would be white. The slogan on the railcars would be on the right side of the car with the logo on the left side. Car ends would be the sunburst primary color with the colors trailing down the sides to match the engines.

You could even have named trains or specials such as: Pacific Coast Limited, Golden Sta

5

Yes Stein, of course. Going too fast for the post. Thanks for the observation.

6

Yes, of course. Thanks for the observation.

7

Great ideas Ray. Thanks for the input.

8

You might call it: Golden State Pacific Railway (drop the “and”) = GSPR, or; Golden State & Pacific Railway (with an “ampersand”) = GS&PR.

ATSF also had a seacoast passenger run, Santa Fe San Diegan (note the pictures), now titled Amtrak Surfliner (today’s 2nd highest Amtrak ridership). So, you could name a passenger service after a California community (like San Diego), or geographic proximity (like Surfliner). And. you could have the prototype (actual) San Diegan, or Surfliner, run beside the free-lanced GSPR, depending upon the era to be modeled.

9

You do realize that the TNO and SSW don’t operate in California?

The “Golden State” route on the SP was the ex-CRIP line from El Paso to Herington, KS. The “golden state” referred to Kansas.

10

Ron, you’re welcome hope it helped.

Ray

11

To interchange with the SSW and T&NO as well as WP it is going to have to be a transcon not a regional.

12

I’m down with that. Thanks for the input.

13

I’m with Galaxy. It’s a great name and slogan. I guess that you’re doing Northern California.

14

Most likely. I live in SF Bay Area. Oakland, Richmond, Berkeley, etc., this area (somewhat). Of course there will be embellishment but try to be somewhat prototypical to SP and SP practices.

My area used to have a town called Cowell which was a company town built around Cement, had a huge cement plant. Also, Port Chicago or (Bay Point as originally named) with a lumber company and shipbuilding company, docks, peirs, and warehouses.

The neighborhood I live in is called Clyde which used to be it’s own town. Clyde was another company town built for the shipbuilding company.

We used to have a narrow guage rail line running though the area Bay Point & Clayton Railway which served the cement plant out to Port Chicago but never made it to Clayton.

UP used to run right down Port Chicago Highway along my neighborhood. SP ran through the area as well. The city of Concord (where I live). I know I said Clyde but it really is Concord. Concord had a depot near where our BART station is now.

There was also a school train that served the area to bring students to Mt. Diablo High in Concord.

There was also electric rail running through the area and car ferries that came acroos Susuin from Mallard to Bay Point (later renamed Port Chicago).

Whew! A lot going on.

I like urban running and since I live near Oakland and San Franciisco I could make something work. My main industry will be Cement.

So it will be regional to Cali, NorCal, SF Bay and the slogan could change due to this.

I like idea of making something fit, giving it a name, logo, colors, theme, and a history. Something that has resisted the BIG Boys, kept itself profitable and independent.

Thanks for the input.

-Ron

15

What era are you modelling, because modelling today would have Union Pacific and BNSF as your connections.

16

True.

1955 - 1965.

-Ron

17

But no steam. The only steam I will have is for an excursion, Mogul. Running Alco RS-3 to RSD-5. Alco S3 and GE25 Tonner.

18

Could run a AS-16 as a lease unit and if you have passenger service a mix of heavyweights and smoothsides. I would look at ex-SP equipment for passenger service or perhaps leftover SP&S equipment as well. Just an idea

Ray

19

I like it Ron,

It gives a sense of place, and sounds like something that could have been.

20

I like the way the name rolls off the tongue - although in my easterner’s mind “Golden State” and “Pacific” are almost synonymous - and I like the second slogan best. But many roads had more than one slogan, so you certainly could use both.

Also, it’s your railroad - if you decide you don’t like the name in the future you can merge it or sell it later, or just come up with a nickname, like the Katy or the Burlington for paint schemes, etc.

Speaking of which, have you thought of color schemes, etc? I’d be interested to see 'em.