BNSF Locomotive Paint Schemes

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Cris Helt

That wedgie or "swoosh" graphic on BNSF's H3 scheme still makes me think that Nike has invested in the railroad.

I don't think it can be a "swoosh" because it isn't curved.

I wi***hey would pull some more heritage and do a variation of the NP Canoe.

The really big problem I see with the orange paint is that it fades so badly. I saw a train going down the joint line the other day and I thought it was UP. When I got closer I realized it was because the orange was so, well, not orange.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

Yellow warbonnets and Cascade Green are pretty routine around here (Chicago). Yesterday (9/21) I saw yellow and blue B23-7 4220 and Cascade Green GP28M 1529 at NS Landers Yard in transfer service. I still see a fair number of Grinstein Green SD70MAC's in coal service.

What's a yellow warbonnet?

A yellow warbonnet is the freight warbonnet design which Santa Fe began using in the mid-1970's. Start with a regular warbonnet paint job as seen on the U28CG's and replace the red with yellow and the silver with blue.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, go out to the following for the great photos:

chad thomas: Thanks for the nice H3 (swoosh) pic. [:)]

joegreen: Nice shots of BNSF 8070! [:D] I really liked the BNSF herald on BN Cascade green diesel - very nice [^]

fuzzybroken: What a neat idea! [:D] SFNP in black & yellow - sweet. Perhaps they could find a way to incorporate the old NP herald?

In response to the topic though, in Illinois I have seen mostly the Orange & Green Heritage schemes, punctuated occasionally by engines in BN Cascade green or ATSF Bluebonnet.

[eolafan]

Saw my first BNSF "swoosh" paint job the other day...albiet at a distance going through a grade crossing....and liked what I saw. I will wait to see one up close to make a final determination.

[SchemerBob]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joegreen

BNSF has some one-of-a-kind paint schemes too like BNSF 7695 with its yellow swoosh or BNSF 8070 with the BNSF herald on the BN cascade green engine.

By extremely weird coinsadence, #7695 was the first H3 engine I saw, and shortly after that there was a blob in TRAINS saying it had the one-of-a-kind yellow markings!

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

Yellow warbonnets and Cascade Green are pretty routine around here (Chicago). Yesterday (9/21) I saw yellow and blue B23-7 4220 and Cascade Green GP28M 1529 at NS Landers Yard in transfer service. I still see a fair number of Grinstein Green SD70MAC's in coal service.

What's a yellow warbonnet?

[joegreen]

The BNSF SD75M's are newer than the DASH 8 and DASH 9 ATSF's that have worn paint.

The ATSF 600's,800's,and 900's are all Ex ATSF and the Paint is getting pretty worn except for many of the 600's are still looking good.Most of the 800's have painted into H2 because of the worn paint.
The 700's and 4700's that BNSF ordered in the warbonnet scheme are also newer so have better looking paint.
BNSF 8200-8250 are all ex-ATSF SD75M's and are still doing well,8251-8301 were ordered by BNSF in the warbonnet scheme and most have been painted into H2 anyway.

[Anonymous]

That wedgie or "swoosh" graphic on BNSF's H3 scheme still makes me think that Nike has invested in the railroad. [:D]

Just wondering, what was the reason for switching from orange and green to orange and black on BNSF's locomotives? Is green paint more expensive? Does the green paint not weather well? Or is the black paint part of a corporate image change along with the lettering, striping, and wedgie graphic?

Most of the BNSF units I've seen running through Utah in the orange and green scheme are usually clean. The exceptions are the red and silver warbonnets where the red paint has a scabby appearence. I've noticed this mainly on the six-axle GE locomotives, but the few SD75M's I've seen don't appear to suffer from the same ailment. (did EMD use a better quality of paint than GE?)

[Anonymous]

Yes, there are quite a few fallen flags, Warbonnets and Heritage Nothing.

Are you complaining, BNSF4ever? Because, as a confirmed wedgie hater, I don't care if it takes BNSF a lot more years to go over completely to H3.

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joegreen
BNSF 8070:http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=141222

Well, isn't that an interesting critter?

[espeefoamer]

[:)]BNSF hearld on a green loco.I like it[8D]!

[Anonymous]

To joe green great photos iof the bnsf the 8070 in 2 difrent paint schmes is cool glennbob

[joegreen]

This is exactly why I like BNSF and don't really get near UP...........BNSF has many different paint schemes and whenever I go to the UP I only see yellow(ugly),and actually its more like brown now.

BNSF has some one-of-a-kind paint schemes too like BNSF 7695 with its yellow swoosh or BNSF 8070 with the BNSF herald on the BN cascade green engine.

BN 8070:http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=11046
BNSF 8070:http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=141222

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

BNSF has some of the best Paint in the world. It stands out much better than the UP or NS alone. The CSXT Paint is just is as good. Railfans are so stupid too what ever they call the BNSF logo. Stop crying and get over it. The New BNSF logo is here to stay. Thank God for the Pumpkin scheme. Good bye Santa Fe. Good bye BN. And hello BNSF Railway. Allan.

You're a bit heavy on the invective and pejoratives but the overall attitude regarding what is new is like a breath of fresh air. We old-timers all miss the railroading from our formative years (I still miss Erie Lackawanna) but we all live in the present and need to realize that things are different but it is still railroading.

[Anonymous]

BNSF has some of the best Paint in the world. It stands out much better than the UP or NS alone. The CSXT Paint is just is as good. Railfans are so stupid too what ever they call the BNSF logo. Stop crying and get over it. The New BNSF logo is here to stay. Thank God for the Pumpkin scheme. Good bye Santa Fe. Good bye BN. And hello BNSF Railway. Allan.

[james saunders]

hmmm SFNP that could work and yes the black and yellow would be very striking they would stand out like dogs balls!!![:D]

[fuzzybroken]

Ok, here's a wild idea: (re)name the railroad the Santa Fe Northern Pacific, and paint locomotives in black and yellow, in the warbonnet pattern.

Sweet!

[james saunders]

bring back the warbonnet with the old BNSF logo like the ATSF one and big red BNSF down the side

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by randyaj
I have not heard of the heritage 3 scheme, does anyone have pictures of it?

You havn't seen a wedgie? I have no idea where in their heritage they think that it came from. I think they look like something a 1st grader would have designed, or possibly a drunk executive on the back of a cocktail napkin. http://www.bnsf.com
http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=28600

[chad thomas]

I think they call em H3 if they have the wedgie logo.

[randyaj]

On my recent trip back to Montana, almost all of the locomotives that my wife and I witnessed, were in the H2 paint scheme. I have not heard of the heritage 3 scheme, does anyone have pictures of it?
Randy

[chad thomas]

The last couple of weekends I went to Cajon, I saw more NS units then BN / SF painted units. Orange definatly dominates on the west end of the transcon.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Yellow warbonnets and Cascade Green are pretty routine around here (Chicago). Yesterday (9/21) I saw yellow and blue B23-7 4220 and Cascade Green GP28M 1529 at NS Landers Yard in transfer service. I still see a fair number of Grinstein Green SD70MAC's in coal service.

[BNSF_GP60M]

Not around here in Hanford, Ca. It seems that most trains are being pulled by locos in H2. Lately there has been at least one train with the H3 scheme. However, we still see BN green and ATSF Bluebonnets. What is rare around here is ATSF Warbonnets.

[BNSF4ever]

I spent two weeks in late August and early September circumnavigating North America by Amtrak and Via Rail Canada. I had several stretches on BNSF track--Denver to Chicago, Vancouver to Seattle, and Seattle to Portland. I also saw BNSF locomotives in pool or run-throughs in Colorado on the old DRGW line and in Depew, NY on CSX track. I also went train watching in Naperville and Aurora, Illinois.

One thing I was surprised to find is just how many BNSF locomotives are NOT in Heritage I or II liveries (HIII is new--and I only saw one locomotive in that scheme). I saw a number of SD70MACs in the old BN executive livery. I saw GE locomotives in Santa Fe Warbonnet (either with Santa Fe or BNSF titles). I saw GPs in BN Cascade Green or Santa Fe Bluebonnet.

I would have thought by 2005 that patched BN or ATSF units would be rare but at least from the anecdotal evidence I saw, I can think of only one or two trains the entire time that had each locomotive in Heritage II.