Why "Pan Am"

[Deggesty]

Semper Vaporo

"Air Line" meant straight from one point to another.

 

Yes, the Seaboard was intended to be a more direct route between Richmond and Jacksonville, so it went  through "The Heart of the South." Of course, it had to follow some contours--and the planners did not dare to miss such important cites as Raleigh and Columbia. However, for some reason, it left Raleigh along the North Carolina Railroad, using it as far as Fetner (Which SAL called "Cary.")

For years, the way from Baton Rouge to New Orleans was the River Road--which more or less followed the bends of the Mississippi. When a shorter highway was constructed it was the named "The Airline Highway."

[richg1998]

Unique name. The name was available, so why not. No doubt prompted discussions in forums over the years. No big deal.

I ride my bicycle much of the year on a street right next to the right of way and a rail trail in Northampton, Ma. Every so often I have to stop with traffic at a rail crossing. One stop is at a box plant.

Now I see Amtrak on the same rails since it was re-routed.

Rich

[tree68]

While still related to making fire trucks, the current "Ahrens Fox" line of fire apparatus is simply using the name - there is no direct lineage between the original AF and the current company (HME).  They do call them "HME Ahrens Fox."

They seem to make good apparatus, so I don't necessarily see it as a cheapening of the name.

Ahrens Fox was a well respected company whose signature pumpers were equipped with piston pumps topped by a large chrome ball (equalization chamber).  They are impossible to miss.  In its day, the AF was top of the line.

[Semper Vaporo]

"Air Line" meant straight from one point to another.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Air Line in the railroad sense meant the shortest and straightest route.

[54light15]

Yes, but wasn't there a railroad that was called "The Seaboard Air Line?" What exactly did they mean by that? 

The New York, Westchester and Boston barely made it into Connecticut, much less Boston.

[BOB WITHORN]

Phoebe Vet,

Exactly true.

[Phoebe Vet]

The test of good advertizing is not whether or not you like it.  It is whether or not you REBEMBER it.

Do you think you will EVER forget the name of that RR?

[Enzoamps]

Well, one railroad does not a trend make.   Over the years how many railroads were named the Something & Pacific, when they didn't come near the Pacific?

Guilford is regional, but they probably do not intend to be that way forever, PanAm is a stronger marketing tool.

[wanswheel]

The owner, Tim Mellon, wrote a book. Maybe the answer's in it.

https://timsstory.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Systems

https://books.google.com/books?id=CCvTY8F8jWsC&pg=PA172&dq=%22what's+a+brand+worth%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiknJeAnM_YAhXIu1MKHSeED18Q6AEIMjAC#v=onepage&q=%22what's%20a%20brand%20worth%22&f=true

[KBCpresident]

Why did Guilford decide to call itself Pan-Am Railways? Yes, it was a very famous company and the copyrights were available, bur the name makes no sense in congtext. Pan-Am was a major World Airline that covered much of the americas (Pan-American, Pan meaning "all.") Guilford is a regional system. Heck, Union Pacific is more Pan-American than Pan-Am Rilaways!
Will this become a fad: Railroads taking the names of famous bankrupt US airlines? I mean, Trains mag awhile ago mentioned how BNSF and CSX need new names. This might be the solution: BNSF can become "Braniff Railways" and CSX can become "Eastern Airline Railroad" Both names aren't in use right now, and "Airline" could be a tipped hat to "Seabord Airline".

Seriously though, how does Pan-AM make sense in this context? And would anyone like either of my proposed new ames. "Braniff Railways has a bit of a ring to it..."