Hi from downunder. What’s everyone’s opinion about the recent changes to the CSX colour scheme? Is it just navy blue and yellow? Hoping someone could confirm that? If so, reminds me a lot of the former B&O colour scheme.
Cheers
Kozzie
Brisbane, QLD
Oz
It is a very dark blue with some yellow on each end. The letters CSX are also yellow. It has been nick named the “blue angel” because it is approximately the same shade as the US Navy flying team’s jets. I like it well enough. I think the old one was better personally. I have seen some engines painted in the new colors showing up in Nashville. They have an old L&N switcher at Kayne Avenue yard painted in the “blue angel” scheme. It’s number is 1115 ( I think ) it is an sw-1500. They don’t seem to be real aggressive about re painting their engines to the new colors.
George
Anyone have a picture for those of us that aren’t in CSX territory?
This paint scheme is also known as the "Dark Future"scheme.The previous scheme was called "Bright Future by the railroad.These colors are dull and bland compared to the previous scheme,but costs less to apply.CSX let the bean counters dictate the paint budget.[:(!]
Here’s a picture of the new blue & yellow: http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photos/CW44AC/0562CSX-yn3.jpg
I like it better. I think all the gray in the older scheme made the engines look kind of dirty/grungy all the time.
Or maybe it’s just that all the engines that went by my old house really were dirty and grungy. [:D]
–Nora
Based on the above picture, I’d have to say I like those new colors.
They are more like the CN and CP styles, simple with only a few colors.
The more simple paint schemes don’t distract you from the engine itself, simpler is better.
Recently I got to compare a Dark Future GP40-2 with a Bright Future GP38-2, and I chose the latter.
I’m not impressed with it, either.
At least it’s not PC green or Conrail Black. (CR blue was great, though)
It’s almost a throwback to the old C&O blue.
To all the C & O fans around, it’s a welcome sight.
It has always been one of my favorite schemes.
Personally, I kind of like it…understated while still classy in a way. I always like new schemes once in a while, they keep things interesting.
I agree. I like the new scheme. I get tired of the same colors after a while. Its noce to see some fresh paint as well or just clean paint will work for me too.
I like it. Does the lightning under the cab window indicate anything special or is just part of the scheme? I like that particularly. Dave Klepper
I am not 100% certain about it, but I think it may mean it is an AC locomotive?
I do remember that the lightning bolts on CSX 651 (slightly different, one small vertical lightning bolt on each side of the number, instead of a big horizontal one below the number: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=20379) were the first train thing that ever caught my eye & made me want to find out more. That was early last summer. So I like the lightning bolt too. [:)]
–Nora
Nora is exactly right, the lightning bolt denotes AC locomotives. It should be noted that a few AC locomotives do not have lightning bolts, but no DC locomotives have them.
As a frequent photographer of the CSX lines in West Virginia, I am really trying to like the scheme . . . but I just can’t.
I have two very basic problems: 1.) the white cabroofs, which I have abhorred since CSX introduced them, and 2.) the shade of yellow in the new scheme – I even hesitate to call it yellow, more like mustard-brown. Beyond that, I find the new scheme does not weather very well. It takes only a little road grime for that navy blue to lose its punch and start looking like dingy charcoal. Finally, I really like matched consists, and the new paint scheme makes those all the harder to find.
Having said all that, I will admit that those new 70MACs look pretty nice. I could go for a matched set of them on a coal train. And of course I realize that CSX locomotives hardly exist to fulfill my photographic desires, but a guy can complain, can’t he???
Scott Lothes
Cleveland, Ohio
Dark Furture about sums the new paint scheme up.
I finaly saw one in Palmer, MA (didn’t get a good look at it though, That train was a Moving!) But from what i have seen It seems to be like the old C&O/B&O paint. You can almost go any where now and see paint sceams from the past.
Marias Pass, Great Northern Goat Boats
Sand Patch, B&O AC6000’s
Horseshoe Curve, Penn Central GE’s
Union Pacific, well not much has changed
look at that list, what year is anyway?
-justin
Many, many moons ago, when radios were new, the lightning bolt usually accompanied the words “Radio Equipped”. Since virtually all locos today have a radio, it may not apply now. But, hey, you never know…
Nora is right. A lightning bolt signifies an AC engine. A horizontal bolt is used on the AC4400s and 70MACS. The two small vertical bolts Nora saw are only on the AC6000s. The only major exception is the SD80MACS. They do not have lightning bolts on them. If I remember correctly there is an AC4400 or two that were repainted after wrecks that did not get the lightning bolt put back on. I’ll have to check on that to be sure.
Derrick
Your point regarding “clean” paint is a good one and brings up a question. Once I was in LaCrosse near the Amtrak station and noticed about a block away a Milwaukee Road employee steam washing a GP40, it really looked good after the washing (this was about 1976 or so), how often are todays units washed and do they have a set schedule, and lastly are any washed by hand as above or with mechanical washers as I have never seen one except in a picture of Sunnyside yard in NYC with a GG1 going through. Jim
