I wonder if the UP’s new heritage “fallen flags” series of locos has anything to do with licensing agreements. Missouri Pacific, Western Pacific, and MKT decorated locos have been unvieled so far, with Chicago & North Western, Southern Pacific, and Denver & Rio Grande Western to follow. Check out the link. The red MKT is stunning.
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/006/109bgdoq.asp
Jim
To quote from the article, “UP acknowledges that a secondary reason for the six Heritage units is to protect its copyrights of its predecessors’ symbols.”
I don’t care a fig. I like the modernized homage to those fallen flags. How long do you bet before we see a special run of these from one of the manufacturers - bet UP charges 'em a special premium.
Come on CSX!
Where’s that New York Central retro unit!!
Thanks for the link Jim! That’s a pretty neat idea! Nevermind CSX… I’d love to see the Norfolk Southern try this concept… talk about a rainbow of color and heritage: Lehigh Valley, Jersey Central, Reading, Erie, Erie Lackawanna, Lackawanna, N&W, Southern, Penn Central, New Haven, Pennsy, Conrail… I wonder if they have rights to all these? Wonder how the line on PRR / PC, NH crosses with CSX? I’m sure I’m forgetting a few more too.
Even if they did the CNJ and the Lehigh Valley alone, those would offer a multitude of different paint scheme possibilities! Even just the ‘Valley’ alone… whoa! I could excited about this idea, but I won’t until I see it happen.
This Katy unit is awsome. It reminds me of the postwar 2245 Texas Special with the star on the nose. Does anyone have a link to angle photos of the to previous heritage units the UP has done.
I think that this and the MP and WP heritage units are absolutely stunning! I think it’s great what they did with them. I’m really looking forward to seeing the SP, DRGW and CNW units. Hopefully there will be models of them out, in spite of UP’s licensing program.
Metro-North and the ConnDOT already beat UP to this “Heritage” paint thing. They have been running New, New Haven Genesis Units on their daily commuter trains for at least four years. I used to ride behind thes to work on the old Hudson river water level route.
MTH even offers models of these in their catalog. On pages 36 and 37 in the 2005 vol 2 you can even see the the ConnDOT seal on the side. Even the number is right. Though never do they mention the modern era accuraccy in the catalog. This and the cars they link to are wrong (the MTA cars they offer would be fine).
emmaandy, I too was happy to see the New Haven retro scheme on the ConnDot units. Gave me a reason to run my New Haven locos on my layout and know that’s it’s a little more than just nostalgia.
There are still other shortlines that have immitated other more famous paint schemes. Tow I know of: The Reading and Northern paint scheme and logo are borrowed from the original Reading Company, and the Finger Lakes Railway uses the NYC Lightning Stripe scheme on their locos.
Here’s a link with photos to UP’s site regarding the heritage locos. All of them are sharp looking.
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/railroad/2005/0730_heritage.shtml
Canadian Pacific is doing a similar fallen flags loco decoration program. See link with phot below:
http://www.trains.com/content/dynamic/articles/000/000/000/847dpslf.asp
BNSF has been doing it for some time, in greater numbers than UP.
I Like 'em!
Bob,
Do you have any pics?
I’d love to see a CB&Q!
BNSF has been doing this too? I just knew they had plenty of units left in BN and SF paint schemes.
The UP has certainly been busy painting. Practically all the former C&NW MP15ACs that I regularly see have been repainted with UPY numbers. I still love to see SP units idling in the Crystal Lake yard - or even a GP20 in glorious Rio Grande black and orange occasionally makes an appearance.
I’d like to see NS do The Southern in green. I never cared much for the NYC and PRR dull schemes. CSX is a bit of an improvement, but not much.
BNSF should bring back the green and white BN and the blue/yellow SF schemes and tra***heir experimental stuff they keep trying.
Perhaps UP is using some of the model RR money gleaned to do its heritage schemes?
I know I’ve seen a picture of an NS unit painted for Southern.