BNSF's Green and Orange engine colors.

[Bob-Fryml]

The predominant colors displayed in BNSF's various "Heritage Paint Schemes" very obviously reflect a Great Northern Railway heritage. Considering that "Big Sky Blue" and white were already replacing G.N.'s streamliner era colors years before the March 1970 creation of Burlington Northern and that here it is 35-years after the GN-NP-Q-SP&S merger, one would think that just about all of the "Great Northern" side of the family - with any kind of heft in the executive suites that would champion the adoption of green and orange - would be retired by now.

Ten years ago some wags were referring to the merger of the Hill Lines and The A.T.& S.F. as the "Big New Santa Fe." I'm just amazed that the resulting merger didn't result in something more along the lines of the classical Warbonnet red-silver-yellow or maybe Cascade Green and silver. But Great Northern colors? Who'd a thunk it?

So pray tell, gang, what were the politics behind the choice of BNSF's current colors?

[coborn35]

Dont really care, I just love the Great Northern color scheme.
GREAT NORTHERN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|

[Anonymous]

I just can't understand why the Railroads like to spent Thousands of dollars just paint all of their Locomotives. I thinks it's real Dumb,You know I hate to say this but......
CSXT,BNSF,NS Just might learn something from the Union Pacific Railroad.
You have one Paint,Leave it as is,In other words......Leave well enough alone!

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: So pray tell, gang, what were the politics behind the choice of BNSF's current colors?

I think you hit upon the answer to your own question. I think there were a lot of polotics that went into that merger. It reminds me a lot of the red/green teams that I've read of in the Penn Central merger. This merger wasn't a meant to be merger (like the original BN merger kind of was). It took two very different railroads, and put them together.

Admittedly, the results turned out a lot better than the UP/SP debacle did, but I still kind of wi***hey had kept their seperate ways. And I really hope the rumblings of a BNSF/NS merger aren't true. That would force UP/CSX, and suddenly we are left with 2 Class 1's (in the US). Railfanning that would seem a bit boring, at least to me.

Chris
Denver, CO

[joegreen]

Attention everybody!!

The railroads paint their locomotives for the people who ship with them,but they don't paint their engines for the railfans.

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Attention everybody!!

The railroads paint their locomotives for the people who ship with them,but they don't paint their engines for the railfans.

Why not? I mean seriously. I doubt that many shippers really care what the locomotives look like that are pulling the train with their stuff. If that was true, one of two scenarios would exist:

1) BNSF would not be lollygagging (is that correctly spelled?) around painting 1 or two locomotives here and there. They'd want nice, matched consists that show a professional side to their service. Sort of like taking your business to a guy in jeans and a T-shirt, and a guy in a suit. Both can probably get the job done, but one just 'looks' more professional.

2) All railraods would have a Penn Central inspired coat of black with a name, and maybe a logo.

The paint schemes applied have to do a lot with Public Relations, which admittedly would include a good share of shippers. It would also appeal at least as much to investors, analysts, employees, competitors, the general public, railfans, and just about anyone else who would have occasion to view a locomotive.

I still also think that intracompany and intercompany polotics could have an awful lot to do with how a company paints its locomotives.

Maybe I'm completely wrong, but maybe not.

Chris May
Denver, CO