BNSF Colors Forcefully Noticed By Outsiders

[croteaudd]

While once traveling adjacent to a BNSF train, I casually asked my unbiased non-railroader / non-railfan mother-in-law what she thought of the green and orange paint. She immediately said that it made her want to puke! Strong words! The colors are admittedly controversial, and perceived as BOTH wonder and horrible depending on who is asked. If you were the BNSF head honcho, assuming money was no object, would you change the color scheme? If yes, what would you change it to?

[Anonymous]

Working for the BNSF, and dealing with their crap on a daily basis has inspired me. Their management strategie towards us hourly employees makes me believe that their new paint scheme should be updated to the former Soviet Union's red with hammer and sickle motif.

[Anonymous]

It's not a bad paint scheem, the oranage could be a little more reddi***o bring out the yellow stripping. I believe BNSF is a well run company. As far as the relationship between Managment and the Help. That sounds like a union problem. Is that not what unions are paid to do, develope good relationships between Managment and the Help.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

Tim, it is not so simple. Remember, all agreements are subject to interpretation. The companies interpretation is usually skued.

[eolafan]

Personal opinion only stated as follows: In any job, with any company, a "that's not my job" used as an excuse just to get out of doing something you just don't feel like doing, but that would be for the betterment of company and customer alike, is not acceptable, period. Yesterday on my scanner a member of a BNSF road crew in Eola yard doing some switching (train was BRCGAL) refused to get off of the head end as requested by the yard foreman in order for him to lock the derail and save the brakeman from having to walk fifty car lengths to do it. The yard foreman insisted and was asked to give his initials in order that the crewman got his extra pay (I assume). That, folks, is what is wrong with not only the BNSF and most railroads, but what is wrong with the general state of American business in general...IT'S NOT MY JOB, MAN...BULL!

[csxns]

No wonder Trucks rule the Roost.

[edblysard]

Hi Tim,
Not to offend, but re read what you wrote.
Management and the help. Sometimes, more often that not, thats exactly what we are made to feel like, the hired help, instead of valuable employees. The intended reference that all of the "help" can be replaced on short notice is prevalent.
As for the unions, well, what it seems we pay them to do is sell job and life insurance, and to make sure pre 1985 employees get significant raises every new contract. As for protecting my job, look at the remote control contract.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

James, you are speaking outta turn on this one. I know of no agreement that provides for a penalty for locking a derail. The yardmaster may have screwed these guys over (believe me, it happens a bunch). This is how we show the yardmaster in certain instances our displeasure with them. Very effective. If you havn't been there, you will not understand.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, right! Your outsiders vantage points are not affording you the full picture. BNSF is hiring as we speak.......Try it out. You'll see.

[eolafan]

You are correct, my opinion was strictly that, my personal opiniion based the exchange I heard over my scanner, nothing else. However, if we can't find it in ourselves to go the extra mile, then we are all in lots of trouble. My position description does not specifically call for me to travel nights and weekends, etc., but I do just that and I feel it has served me well. When my employer stops acknowledging those things I do that can be described as "extra", then it will be time for me to look for another employer, which is what I suggest we all do if this type of thing ever happens to you. Bottom line, we each have two choices, do the job or leave, nobody is stopping us!

[dknelson]

As a wise man once wrote, no one is a hero to their valet.
I hear via the scanner plenty of examples of crew cooperation above and beyond the call of duty -- including helping out some hapless dispatchers unfamiliar with the territory. That is on the UP (ex CNW), CP (ex Soo, ex Milw Rd) and CN (ex WC).
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

James, you forgot the third choice. Change things. I'm not talking about doing things for the YM and not getting noticed. I'm talikng about gettin' a screwin' from the YM or TM and giving them a taste of their own medicine. Trust me. This is a very effective way of rectifying things. How do you discipline a kid? Send them to a foster home, or show them what happens when they disrespect you. I garen-damn-tee that if you plug the yard up once, the YM or TM will think twice before they decide to break it off in you again.......

[Anonymous]

Exactly, Dave! When we get these college grad non railroading TMs and YMs, how do you think the freight gets moved? We carry the slack and it gets done. I have been there when old heads help these guys out on what moves should be made and on how things should operate. If they are cool, we are cool. If they are dicks, then we can become dicks. Eolafan....the RR is hiring. Try it for awhile. You will soon become privy to what we are talking about. And I will not quit my job because of some dummy official that will most likely be gone long before I will. You have got to remember that some of these smartass college geeks (not all) come on with the attitude that we are a bunch of uneducated ding-a-lings because they have that little piece of paper. The RR hires those guys for a reason and it is not because they are geniuses. It is because they are yes men/women. They can't go back to the craft if they don't like what the RR says (which is sometimes not whats best for moving freight). They have to do what they're told or be canned. Remember, the head shmucks usually don't come from the ranks. They are numbers guys and alot of times have no clue on what needs to be done, only what looks good on some spreadsheet. If you got rid of 1/2 of these officials, the freight would still move. If you got rid of 1/2 of the crafts......nothing would move!
Ken

[eolafan]

Granted, education does not replace experience, and experience without education is not always the best thing either, but experience AND education is the best mix of all. Oh, by the way, those "college educated geeks" who are yes people and that you speak of are generally making much more money than many others and will likely all of their lives, consider that before blasting them.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to make the assumption that your question was about paint schemes and not labor vs. management. I would like to see the old war bonnet scheme brought back. I wasn't a fan of it but I think it would be sort of cool. I wasn't a fan of Great Northern's scheme which I think the BNSF scheme was adopted from. If not he war bonnet then the NP freight scheme used on their SD45's and GE's. I think it looked sharp. Now if I missed the beat and you were actually asking about labor vs. management then I cannot answer since I have no interest in that area.

[Anonymous]

Stricly speaking about color schemes, I like the BNSF green and orange. It's reminiscent of the schemes of the golden era of diesel railroading, and in my view easily beats out the dark green and cream, and the earlier Cascade green schemes. BNSF has some moxie applying such an elaborate scheme in this long era of paint scheme blandness which has followed the first generation, "factory" paint jobs.

John Baie, Author, www.xlibris.com/TwoTrackMain.html

[Anonymous]

Not so true on the money thing in my industry....Us uneducated yard rats usually make the same if not more that a new TM. Some of the older TMs that came from the ranks of Engineer told me that they actually lost money to become officials. I am not blasting all college grads (read my post closely), just the ones that think that they have the world by the *** and know everything fresh outta college. Those are the ones that I love to put the screws to.....

[Anonymous]

John, I am not a foamer, but, the BN's executive scheme is my favorite. Followed by the new herritage II

[Anonymous]

You are right, I have never thought of it that way.

[Anonymous]

I have always liked the Great Northern paint scheme, and I like today's paint scheme too. I have never liked the bland paint scheme of the Southern Pacific, the absolute worst paint scheme in the absolute worst condition....

[Anonymous]

I've seen an engineer race off the engine to put a derail back on and then chase his still moving train to get back on while his crew members are riding the point and lining switches. On a very time sensitive traffic train (and a cut for the crew) on a first class rr this year. This is maybe the opposite behavior (very productive) but is it safe? if there is an accident then what. You're just never going to get everyone to do it just right, people are too different.

[Anonymous]

I always thought they should have used the ATSF blue & yellow warbonnet scheme and replaced the blue with BN green with the yellow lettering but I do like the "Pumpkin" paint job for photography. The orange with yellow scotch-brite really has a lot of "snap" even on slightly overcast days. I got some shots of a "pumpkin" departing Amarillo just as the fog started to lift that turned out awesome.

[Anonymous]

I saw a Butt ugly CP rail locomotive painted Green.. it was so ugly it clashed with the entire remainder of the train. (GP-38 # 3005) Hidious.. absolotely hidious.. It was vile green too.. seeing as every Freight car on the trin was etither Grey and red lettering, or Red with white lettering.. This green locomotive stuck out like a sore thumb.

Kev.
maybe you might be able to locate a picture.

[bowlerp]

Back "en pointe", at last. My preference would be a Northern Pcific scheme, the two tone green Lowey post war streamliner passenger scheme. I also prefer the War bonnet to any of the other "native" BNSF schemes, or the new green and orange. BN green and white were nice, and I liked the new version of it on big modern diesel power.

Being from the east, it is a novelty to see any of these schemes, but it would not take me long to grow tired of the current scheme per the first post. Anything beats the NS scheme however, in my neck of the woods. NS has a decided lack of imagination. I even am now nostalgic for the Conrail blue, though I was luke warm about it when they went by here by the dozen per day.

[overall]

If I were a BNSF honcho, I would go with the BNSF warbonnet, like what 811 was wearing when she came through Nashville and stopped at Kayne Avenue tower. As luck would have it, I was out of film in the camera.

And so it goes,

Overall

[overall]

I have not worked in the RR industry,but I have worked in the electric utility industry as an engineer. When I come out of college and hired on, I spent a lot of time with the crews building power lines in the field. I just worked with them like an appentice and learned what I could. I did NOT try to tell them their job. I watched and listened RESPECTFULLY. I learned so much that is not taught in classes or books and that knowledge is still helping me to this day.
Maybe the RR college geeks should put on work clothes and spend a few months working with the yard crews to learn what really does and does not work. Each side would probably understand the other better.

Overall

[JoeKoh]

memorial day weekend I saw 5 diffrent paint schemes for bnsf while train hunting.I agree the warbonnet would be the best bet.The warbonnet was behind a sd70mac with a bn scheme.
stay safe
joe

[wallywalkabout]

Actually, the BNSF "offically" calls the orange color "Pumpkin". Here in western Colorado, most people like the color combo. I hope your mother-in-law helped clean up the "puke".

[tabeckett]

For pure visual impact, I'd have to go with the red/silver warbonnet scheme. It's the sharpest paint job out there. I'll get in trouble with this, but I also like the green/cream on the SD 70s. It's understated elegance.

[Anonymous]

No..what's wrong is people like you who obviosly have nothing better to do than listen to conversations that are none of your business foamer boy! Stop wasting your life by a railroad track and dissing people who are at least out there working. Maybe get a girl or something constructive??