Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Oltmann, you threw something into the mix that I hadn't considered- which was not only how we see the railroad, but how it sees itself.  I was an armed courier working for Wells Fargo Armored Cars in Phoenix when they merged (read: bought out) by Loomis.  The Wells guys knew where they stood when the new logos went on the trucks... and then when the trucks were painted Loomis white.  From a corporate and practical standpoint, the new paint job made sense.  Try riding around in a big red truck in 110 degree heat without an air conditioner... I have.  But we were used to being able to walk into a bank or a store and having the customer say, "The Big Red truck is here."  Practical? No- dirt showed up very well on the big red truck, and it really was hotter than the all white van. The corporate logo- a Pony Express rider- said a lot about the attitude Wells employees had about their job, when they thought about it.Just like I suspect Santa Fe engineers, if they thought about it, absolutely hated the idea of running out West in a bright red cab, but they knew the Warbonnet scheme was meant for special trains- the Super Chief and El Capitan- premier trains that needed, demanded, premier crews.On the reverse side, I've heard a lot about how former SP crew felt about watching the gray and red color scheme go away in favor of UP's yellow and gray.  At a gut level, they felt like everything that had made them SP employees was being ignored by the eeeeevil Uncle Pete.  But the UP has a powerful corporate logo and paint scheme that sets it apart from everyone else.  It's been around long enough that it suggests stability, continuity, and efficient service.  Stick the UP wings on the front and you have a symbol representing speed, which is what a customer wants to see.Some corporate images die hard in employee's minds.  The Southern hasn't been around here for eons in Columbus, Georgia.  But I've heard engineers call the tower operators in Columbus Yard "the Southern guys."  Even NS employees tell you they are happily (maybe) working on "the old Central of Georgia" division. Take a look at the NS "F" units pulling their executive train, and you don't have NS black and white- you have a SOUTHERN paint scheme with a small horse on the front.To revisit an old topic, imagine how employees of UPS would react if they stopped being the Big Brown truck.  Same thing.  When you go fooling around with logos and how the public sees your company, you are playing with fire.Is the cigar band practical? Nope.  Is the railroad the Santa Fe any more?  Nope.  It's a swoosh and series of letters making it indistinguishable from GATX or ADM or CSX.Which reminds me- put the dang cat back on the engines, and let's get back to calling it the Chessie system....
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag