Trains.com

Can anyone tell me the motto written along the sides of the NP two-tone green diesel locos?

1066 views
10 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Upper Left Coast
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by kenneo on Thursday, March 11, 2004 7:39 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Kozzie

I've only seen small size photos of the Northern Pacific two-tone green diesel locos. They have an expression/motto written in white script along the sides.
I was wondering what it was?[banghead]

All the photos I have had access to have been too small to allow the writing to be read and I have yet to track one down in the local hobby shop.

Thanks for any help on this. [:)]

Cheers

Kozzie


The NP had two versions. The first, had a yellow siloet (can't spell today) of a pine tree that turned into a side stripe. Two tone green. Then, the second sceme, again with the same greens, had the lighter shade as a window stripe with the dark green above and below. Not tree on the A unit nose - the stripe just got wider. I think both were products of Raymond Lowery. My opinion is that the later version was better balanced visually, but I really missed the tree.
Eric
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Upper Left Coast
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by kenneo on Thursday, March 11, 2004 7:29 PM
What you refer to is "Main Street of the Northwest". Until the NORTH COAST LIMITED was introduced, their primeir train was the "Mainstreeter".

And, yes, I remember those diners. And I ate the spuds, too.

The UP served up giant Idaho bakers that were a match for the NP's Montana version.
Eric
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Australia
  • 786 posts
Posted by Kozzie on Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:56 PM
Hey everyone![:)] Thanks for that info. [tup] I appreciate all those comments.

Looks like "Main Street of the Northwest" it is. I
reckon that's a very good motto - says a lot without being over the top or anything.

dblstack, thanks for the web site - the map helps too.

Were there other good mottos from other fallen flags?

Kozzie



  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: WV
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by coalminer3 on Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:04 PM
It was "Main Street of the Northwest."

NP dome sleepers ran on Amtrak's Floridian. I rode in one from Nashville to Chicago one time; lovely car. Also, I recall seeing an NP lounge car in NE Corridor service back in the early 70s.

The NP was also well-known for its dining cars. Anyone out there remember the "Great Big Baked Potato?" There was a fascinating book on NP diners published a few years ago; I do not know if it's still in print or not; but it provided a lot of insight into NP history and operating practices; it's worth the effort to find it.

Well, time to go eat.........

work safe
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 11, 2004 11:10 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dknelson

The NP had a handsome paint scheme for box cars and back in the 1960s you's see them pretty often. Even into the 1980s I would see them in Galesburg, although less often here in Milwaukee. I remember seeing a wood outside braced NP boxcar on a deadline in Galesburg circa 1983 - pity that some museum didn't get it.
In the early days of Amtrak NP cab units were a fairly common sight. Those were the days ... and railfans hated Amtrak at first because the consists did NOT match but were a jumble of railroads. Now they complain that it is all uniform and uninteresting.
Dave Nelson


I have actually seen a piece of NP equipment myself in the last year, but unfortunately not actually in use. In Regina, Saskatchewan at the scrapyard of Wheat City Metals, there's an old NP heavyweight baggage car in the two-tone green paint scheme, number 1587. There's actually a whole lot of frieght cars that are going to be scrapped there, but they're all piled up with their trucks removed and the baggage car is sitting on a siding next to a building away from where the others cars are. Hopefully it won't end up getting scrapped! I wonder how it ever got there in the first place?
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, March 11, 2004 7:57 AM
The NP had a handsome paint scheme for box cars and back in the 1960s you's see them pretty often. Even into the 1980s I would see them in Galesburg, although less often here in Milwaukee. I remember seeing a wood outside braced NP boxcar on a deadline in Galesburg circa 1983 - pity that some museum didn't get it.
In the early days of Amtrak NP cab units were a fairly common sight. Those were the days ... and railfans hated Amtrak at first because the consists did NOT match but were a jumble of railroads. Now they complain that it is all uniform and uninteresting.
Dave Nelson
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:42 PM
The Doggy is right on - see this link for an old NP add that shows this really nicely.
- Stack

http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/History/railroad_images/nprr4.jpg
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:42 PM
Kozzie I live in the U.S. and their are a lot of NP models I could give you a website to try
www.walthers.com
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Australia
  • 786 posts
Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:36 PM
[:)] Thanks Doggy! Sounds like a good one! I like it![tup]

Don't see a lot of HO NP models around here - I'll keep looking - I love chasing up the fallen flags - some have a great livery. I don't mind the NPtwo-tone green at all.

Did NP also have another scheme with gold in it?

Kozzie
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:16 PM
I think it is the Main Street of the Northwest

DOGGY
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Australia
  • 786 posts
Can anyone tell me the motto written along the sides of the NP two-tone green diesel locos?
Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:10 PM
I've only seen small size photos of the Northern Pacific two-tone green diesel locos. They have an expression/motto written in white script along the sides.
I was wondering what it was?[banghead]

All the photos I have had access to have been too small to allow the writing to be read and I have yet to track one down in the local hobby shop.

Thanks for any help on this. [:)]

Cheers

Kozzie

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy