On an interesting side note on the Rock scheme, according to plans if the Rock had made it past 1980, the Locomotives would have been painted all white, just like the Bay Window Cabooses and some box cars, as a cost cutting measure and going with just white with the black “R”. These were the plans just before shutdown.
I never cared much for the Powder Blue scheme.Saw many freight cars and a few locos in that paint.Also saw some wood cabooses in Chicago.It seemed weird seeing something as ancient as a wood caboose in the (then) new blue paint.
Long live the Rock red (either maroon or bright red) scheme![:)]
Wow, I like the Ingram Blue better.
Rock Island’s F units that made it into the 1970s got traded in to EMD on Union Pacific and Rio Grande accounts. In return, the Rock got some Rio Grande GP7s, and the UP sent a number of well worn “F9s” which were rebuilds of F3As and F3Bs. I don’t know if the UP E8s and E9s sent to the Rock were part the deal. Also, there were three passenger F7As that survived to the end of the Rock Island in commuter service.
Oo. A grim end for the “Rock’s” F units.