Seventies Paint Scheme

[bestengineer]

THE DT&I VERMILLION & BLACK with that compass on the side of the units with the words "We have the connections" on the sides! Ah... And the #1776! now thats the best bicentennial color scheme of all other "70's" railroads...

B.E.Cannon

[Anonymous]

My very favorites have to be Chessie, Rock Island blue and the Southern Crescent green, white and gold. A good majority of us seem to prefer those as well-great minds think alike! Runner up would be BN. I do love BN's green, but it isn't quite as good as the others I mentioned. I'd never tell my parents, though, as both love BN green/black engines very much!

As far as those who've expressed an opinion on Penn Central's paint scheme, all I can say is...What paint scheme?

Seriously, though, I love PC's aqua green colour that they used on their rolling stock. Why didn't they paint their locomotives in it as well, though? It looks much better than flat black. The model train manufacturers seemed to agree, too, as many made green PC engines. I myself have a green PC F7 in HO scale and I like it a lot. I suppose plain black didn't look too bad on GP diesels, but F units, E units and especially GG1's are another story. A curvaceous engine like a GG1 should have a paint scheme that accentuates its figure...not bare black paint with the mating worns on the side.

[Anonymous]

My favorite seventies paint scheme is Santa Fe's blue and yellow used on their diesels. I am also fascinated by Santa Fe's bicentennial colors of red, white and blue.

Robert Wilhelm
Mesa, Arizona

[Anonymous]

My favorite seventies paint scheme was Santa Fe's blue and yellow. I am also fascinated by Santa Fe's bicentennial colors of red, white and blue.

Robert Wilhelm

[trainboyH16-44]

gotta love CP Rail's Multimark candy stripe scheme
CPR4EVER

[SALfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

That Chessie scheme just screams "1970s"

AMEN! Don't get me wrong, it was an okay scheme in small doses.. Just like orange shag carpeting and lime-green leisure suits, it would have been SO wrong for any other decade. What were we thinking?

My favorite is Southern's green & white with gold striping, and Erie Lackawanna's scheme comes in a close second. Honorable mention: Family Lines/Seaboard System's gray with red & yellow stripes.

[Anonymous]

PC. Great for we modelers. You get it right every time. But for sheer looks, I agree, Erie Western. It simply was not around long enough to get noticed.

[Anonymous]

Have to agree with just about everybody else... Chessie System was unique and lively!
Could you imagine Dash 8's in that classic scheme! C'mon CSX - get brave!

[Anonymous]

The worst, absolutely, was the PC black.

[Matt1950]

Having been a railfan from the 50's on, I hated the 70's because of all the fallen flags. I even went out of my way to take photos of the last Southern Pacific SD-9 in the Black Widow paint scheme. I HATED BN Green because of what it covered up.

Now of course I look back fondly on my photos of BN green F-units sitting in Hoyt Street Yard in Portland as BN green dissolves into BNSF.

The only paint scheme to survive over the years has been the UP Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist. It has swallowed everything.

However, my favorite(s) from the 70s were the D&RGW orange and black and the WP Orange and Silver. Both photographed well, especially in low sun.

Matt

[Anonymous]

My vote for best goes to Erie Lackawanna; maroon, yellow and gray; "Sounds impossible, looks great!" The worst, shared by Penn Central and Norfolk & Western ('71 scheme): boring black. I remember when N&W announced the new scheme, they said they chose black because noone else was using it. (Except connections PC, SCL and SR.) The folks in Roanoke apparently didn't get out much.

[Anonymous]

CN was and is the best scheme. Can't argue with a simple, classic, effective design that has hardly changed in approximately 40 years. That's what brilliant concept is all about!!!!

[Anonymous]

Hmmm? Tough call, I'd probably have to say BN's green monsters are my favorite I guess I just got used to them, since they rolled by old house South Omaha everyday when I lived there. I have to give honorable mention to Rock Island's Red, and the Milwaukee Road paint scheme both were also full of character.

[espeefoamer]

That Chessie scheme just screams "1970s"

[Anonymous]

how about jersey centrals red baron?

[Anonymous]

1st: D&H with the lightning stripe and large road numbers on the long hood.
2nd: Lehigh Valley just before inclusion in Conrail
3rd: Erie Lackawanna
4th: Chessie System
5th: Reading yellow and green? (sorry, I'm color blind with red/green)

[mandelswamp]

I favor the Central Vermont's Green with Yellow Stripes and CV noodle.

[trcarson]

Chessie the Cat, of course!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

One of my favorites was was the red, gray and white Burlington (CB&Q) paint scheme(BN wasn't formed until March 2, 1970...so this is still a valid answer!) . Second favororite was Rio Grande's black and orange withe the large "Grande".

Worst was the black Penn Central locomotive scheme.

[Anonymous]

I've been around long enough to be a first-hand witness to the 1970's schemes. Here's my votes.

Classy: Erie Lackawanna

Rotten: A tie between Penn Central and N&W (in particular the big block "NW" letter scheme).

[espeefoamer]

For paint schemes that exsisted in the 70s:
Passenger, Santa Fe Red& Silver Warbonnet.
Freight,SPs Black Widow.

[Anonymous]

conrail light blue

[jabrown1971]

Illinois Terminal green and yellow were very impressive



Have to agree with Tracy on that one

[Anonymous]

Penn Central was the best scheme of the 70's.

Just kidding!!!!

Chessie is the best for sure. Notable mentions go to Southern and Erie Lack of money.

[Anonymous]

Yes, Chessie has to be the best, but also ICG and BN. Though not a class 1, the Illinois Terminal green and yellow were very impressive.

[fuzzybroken]

My two favorites: Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Road. Third would be Chicago & North Western.

-Mark
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken

[eolafan]

I always was impressed wth the green with gold stripes used on E units on the Southern Crescent, very classy.

[Anonymous]

Living beside a B & O branch line for most of my 52 years, my choice has to be Chessie System.

Bob Barnes, Butler, Pa.

[bbrant]

Best 70's scheme - Chessie System
Worst - SP "bloody nose"

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rgemd

This isn't unique to the 70's, but I personally like the black and gold of the d&rgw. Nothing fancy, just mean looking locomotives ready to go to work

Along those lines, I'll say the orange and black of the Milwaukee Road.