Diesel Engine Paint Schemes

[Anonymous]

Who do you think had the best looking paint schemes on their diesels? In my opinion It would be the was Santa Fe and their Warbonnets, hands down. It didn't matter if it was as EMD, GE, E or F units or the Alco PA1's, that Silver and red was one awesome looking paint scheme. The Delaware and Hudson's Aloc PA1's in the Blue and Yellow was also very nicely done
Larry

[Anonymous]

Northern Pacific freight scheme

[tankertoad70]

GN's original green and orange, basically, well, I grew up with it and it done stuck!! Lotsa nice paint schemes have been developed through the years however.

[Anonymous]

Chicago Northwestern. I liked there Corporate symbol. It looked of Quality.
TIM A

[csxengineer98]

PRR brunswick green and stripes

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

My favorites tend to run toward two tones with a separation stripe: 1. Erie Lackawanna
2. Iowa Interstate
3. BN Grinstein Green
4. Belt Railway of Chicago

[Anonymous]

Nothing beats good ole' ACL purple and silver in my book. I grew up with that and those E's and F's with Nathan M5 horns carrying on in their royalty were in their own way human to me (beautiful sights and wonderful voices) and quite addictive for life.

[Anonymous]

This is probably graphic designer blasphemy, I guess it depends on what you grew up with. I liked the EL's colors, but I just loved the Rock Island's Red and Yellow with large white "speed" lettering. The E's looked just spiffy in that scheme.

Tom Klimczak
Lemont, IL

[Anonymous]

Anybody ever seen the BNSF's "vomit bonnet," runnin around? That one needed a large quantity of paint stripper applied...........

[Anonymous]

Same discussion going on at RailroadForums.com but with color photos. You can see it at:
http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=34840#post34840

[Anonymous]

I am partial to the Burlington Route's Chinese Red and grey freight livery,but I also really liked the warbonnets.Continuing in descending order,I would go next with the orange and green GN,the NYC lightning stripe passenger livery,and finally,D&RG orange/silver/black ala CAlifornia Zephyr...SHARP!!!

[RAILFANUSA]

My favorite is the Western Pacific's passenger F3's @ F7's used on the "California Zephyr". You can't help loving that beautiful orange and silver!!!

[BRAKIE]

To my mind R.J.Corman has a sharp looking paint scheme.The second best is Ohio Central.

[eolafan]

Each and every one of you is right in your vote. I have lived in five different states and have railfanned many, many roads, and I never have found a sheme I did not like, as long as it was on a train and reasonably clean!

[Anonymous]

I couldn't agree more. I started serious rail photography with the Frisco, before the BN merger, but shot a lot of Mopac, MKT, ICG, Milw, Conrail, Seaboard/Chessie, Southern Pacific, BN, ATSF, "old" TP&W, and I am sure I forgot a few. Except for filthy SP units, I like ALL paint schemes, but my favorites are GM&O and CB&Q.

[Mookie]

Norfolk Southern gets my vote.

[Anonymous]

Larry, no question in my mind, the absolute best scheme ever applied to a diesel was the Grand Trunk Western 1776, otherwise known to us GTW fans as the "Thunder Chicken". The angry looking bald eagle in the flanks would still be VERY fitting for today. If you aren't familiar with that scheme, look through some old 1970's RR mags. If you want, check out michiganrailroads.com some photos are there as well.
Todd C.

[cabforward]

new haven- black, white and orange never looked better..
reminded me of halloween candy..

[Anonymous]

I've always liked the Belt Railway of Chicago's paint. It looked really good on their C424s. Northern Alberta's was similar.

[Anonymous]

Wabash/Ann Arbor blue and grey on cab units. Erie Lackawanna maroon and grey on anything (Algoma Central also). Green and Gold with maple leaf on Grand Trunk Western. PRR Tuscan red on E units. Southern green white and black with the SR herald on the nose. Chessie System. Southern Pacific's daylight colors on their PA's. Nothing much stacks up to these anymore, except perhaps for BNSF. Have railroads lost their flair?

[Anonymous]

I've always liked SP's Daylight red, orange, and black. But of course this scheme was pretty much limited to passenger Northerns, EMD E units, Alco PA's, and a handful of SP passenger trains. SP's black widow freight scheme never did much for me.

On the other hand, GN applied their very elaborate and attractive orange, green and yellow scheme to practically everything!

Honorable mention goes to GM&O's red and maroon and MILW's orange and maroon, the latter which disappeared too early in my view. This was on account of MILW passenger trains/locomotives adopting UP's yellow and red after 1955. Plus, maroon started disappearing off MILW's freight F's soon thereafter. MILW should have added maroon to its hood units/second generation diesels instead of relegating them to second class status (orange and black).

John

[Anonymous]

Ford 132 Ton GE's, DT&I/Ann Arbor Orange, Wabash, Norfolk Southern GP-59 in Southern colors, Conrail Executive E-units. Nickel Plate black and yellow. Detroit Toledo Shore Line. They all great.