SP black widow and IC orange

[espeefoamer]

The black widow scheme was great.The surprising thing is how long it lasted.Many F7s wore this scheme until retirement.I saw 2 black widow F7s in 1971.The last unit was repainted in the spring of 1973.it was GP9 3611.

[Anonymous]

The gray-and-red came in ca. 1958 as an economy measure; the black widow took too many colors and too much masking. Russell Austerity Gray is my name for it. In the late '70s SP was looking for a new image. I cracked up my favorite officer by suggesting that one of the SD45s then in the Peninsula commute pool be painted in a safety scheme, i.e. black widow with the long red stripe in reflective paint.

[CShaveRR]

Times change, tastes change.

When the IC introduced orange and white, it was almost universally regarded as a breath of fresh air for a drab-looking railroad that really needed something.

But that was then--the late 1960s, which also gave us psychedelic decorations, Laugh-In's flowered wall, and other things that would be considered tacky today.

The most recent black IC paint scheme, with the Roman lettering and a gray-and-white logo, is not colorful. But it was definitely tastefully done, as opposed to some of the "dip" paint schemes of the early 1970s.

I don't think I'm always a fan of the first paint scheme I saw. I usually have opinions about whether a change is an improvement or not. But my opinions change, too--and some of the paint schemes I was really wowed by when they came out, I'll now acknowledge that I'm glad they're gone.

[gabe]

I think a lot of paint scheme preferences--at least mine--are related to the geography people saw them in. For instance, there was something about the orange and white that really blended well with the central Illinois landscape--especially in the fall.

Then again, Mark's suggestion may be more to the point. They ripped the Illinois Central line (Springfiled, Illinois to East St. Louis) out of my home town when I was young in favor of the GM&0/Alton main, and the colorful IC diesles were representative to me of all I had lost and of rarity; the NS/N&W, which still goes through my home town, always struck me as common as dirt and less valuable to see.

In any event, glad to see that people feel the same way about various paint schemes as I do--they attach themselves to one and tend to hold on to it.

Gabe

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The IC orange and white wasn't too bad, it came along while I was in high school and I saw a lot of it from the suburban platform at 115th St while waiting to board the South Shore on the way home from school.

The main problem with the orange and white, the solid orange and the orange and gray was that the orange (and gray) paint faded quickly. This may explain why IC went back to black after the shortline and regional spinoffs were completed.

[Anonymous]

Try to pick a favortie paint job ona railroad that had 10 or so different schemes. The Rock had everything in different colors but if I had to choose I'd take the original Rocket paint job. That 2 tone red and silver was handsome. But i also think the Milwakee Road Hiawatha 100 series Hudsons were shrap too. But then again the warbonnet on an SD75M is handsome.........ah the list goes on. Long live the Rock!!!!

[mike-65]

Drab paint schemes?? Urrgh!
The UP yellow is sooo bland and soulless...
Yes, the SP BlackWidow scheme was really nice ( tho I don't remember it )

I've always had a fondness for the WP orange-and-silver... with the brighter red shield/badge, that was cool. But the Perlman green - yikes!!

Talk about bland and soul-less....

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

I now understand the origin of the dark outlook for the future of railroading that is reflected in so many posts on here--it is reflected in the preference for drab paint schemes.

Just joking, thanks for lending your thoughts.

Gabe

P.S. Still think the IC orange and white was the best. Although I will note that the split rail idea was laughable. Didn't anyone tell the IC execs what a split rail was a symbol of in railroading?

Actually, the SP Speed Lettering, with the red and additional white, was not drap when the locomotive had been painted recently and was shiny. I miss those days.

[gabe]

I now understand the origin of the dark outlook for the future of railroading that is reflected in so many posts on here--it is reflected in the preference for drab paint schemes.

Just joking, thanks for lending your thoughts.

Gabe

P.S. Still think the IC orange and white was the best. Although I will note that the split rail idea was laughable. Didn't anyone tell the IC execs what a split rail was a symbol of in railroading?

[adrianspeeder]

I vote for NS black as the best loco paint job EVER.

Adrianspeeder

[ericsp]

I like the SP Speed Lettering scheme the best, at least for freight units. The Daylight scheme was an incredibly good one. While the Black Widow and Tiger Stripe schemes were good, I think the gray and read is better. As they say, taste is relative.

[Anonymous]

I grew up with the IC in the '50s and '60s. When the orange and white/split rail image came along I was horrified. The white became dirty quickly. It all looked cheap and unbecoming to a road with such dignity. The black with green herald, and the brown and orange cab units were the best. The worst was when the IC suburban trainmen got their "new look" uniforms. Green elevator operator costumes with an orange split rail insignia. One guy wore his with an orange vest. A fashion terrorist to say the least.
Mitch

[joegreen]

It won't be too long and you won't see the black ICs because CN will have painted them into red,white,and black.

[MP173]

Personally, I enjoyed the black IC with the green diamond logo. After the orange/white showed up it was interesting, but then got old.

I remember one fine day in 1975 when IC 296 went north with two black geeps. Not the rebuilds and not orange/white, but BLACK. I chased them for awhile, getting pretty good pictures, particularly crossing the Embarras River at Newton.

Was it really 29 years ago?

MP173

[agentatascadero]

Having grown up with steam...can you spell BLACK? That would make the Daylight scheme the only one of "color" on either road. That being said, I know you're referring to the diesel era. To me, On IC, there was only the calssic, and one of the best, orange/brown, and I had one of my fastest and most exciting rides on the Louisianne. I can still hear the conductor announce: For the Negro passengers we have a special car reserved just for you, please proceed to the foreward end of the train. On the SP, there was only the Daylight and Black Widow schemes, on both roads, all others were just cheap imitations. To this day I'm in disbelief, not to mention shame, that civil rights progress occured so recently in history.

[Anonymous]

I like the Black Widow so much that I painted up a GE Dash 8-40C in that scheme just to see what it would look like. It's cool..

[broncoman]

I actually thought the SPSF almost merger colors were the best. It would have been better than the current situation of all UP yellow.

[tree68]

Having been in IC/ICG country at the time of the IC/GM&O merger, thus in the middle of the orange and white, I rather liked the scheme. It's a lot brighter than its predecessor "black." While "circus" may not seem very dignified, it's better than "creamsicle", which would have also fit...

Now GM&O red and white... Very nice.

[DSchmitt]

I've always liked the SP blackwidow best. It looked good on everything.

The expermintal orange and black version of the"bloodynose" looked great on an F or E.

[DPD1]

I actually thought the ICG Gray & Orange was their best, but obviously it didn't last long... Certainly better than the closing all black scheme. But the orange & white was OK.

Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

[Anonymous]

The Daylight scheme was the best that SP had, all others just sucked.

[gabe]

I am not a Southern Pacific fan. I mean, I have nothing against it, am sure it has its points of interest, and certainly can understand why many hold it so dear. It is just that my points of interest have always taken me elsewhere.

However, for those of you who are SP fans, I was hoping you could clarify something for me. It seems as though SP fans hold the grey and red paint scheme as the "classic" design of the railroad and as its identifying icon.

I have to admit, I just don't understand this. Every time I see an SP (now UP of course) unit, I can't tell the grey from the red (because they are so dirty). What I am really getting at is, why not the Black Widow Scheme?!? I think that scheme has to make the all-time list of great paint schemes, if not the best ever.

As a fan of the Illinois Central who is barely old enough to remember the orange and white, I can understand why some fans are only really familiar with its current "stealth" scheme (gag me with a spoon)--just like many SP fans are only old enough to remember the grey and red, but that is no excuse not to recognize that the orange and white and the black widow was the classic scheme worthy of praise.

I was so hurt when Trains magazine in its article "Lean line of Mid-America" called the orange and white its "circus scheme."

I realize this is a rather trivial topic, but, eh, what better than to pick a fight with and give me a break from work [:)].

Your thoughts?

Gabe