Railroad merger & paint scheme timeline

[Baikal]

I've extracted some data from an Excel SS which contains the dates of major railroad mergers and paint scheme changes.

Collected over many years, from various sources.  SP and UP and other western roads have more entries because that's my focus.  It's not intended to be comprehensive and it runs from the 1951 creation of the FCP from the SPdeM to the creation of BNSF in 1996.  Because I don't care much about anything that happend later.

If I didn't know the specific month something happened I just noted the year and placed the entry near the middle of the year.

I know I've missed some big paint scheme changes, esp for northeastern roads like LV & D&H.  Additions or corrections are welcomed and of course feel free to use.  I hope the list isn't too long but I didn't want to just provide a link to a file.

12/21/51 FCP from SPdeM
1953 - 57 UP locos with aluminum trucks (everything new from 7/57 330-class GP9s had aluminum).
1954 PRR replaces circle-keystone with shadow-keystone logo.
3/55 NH "McGinnis" paint scheme.
7/55 SP begins "Gothic" lettering on freight cars.
1/1/57 CSTPM&O (Chicago, St.Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha) leased by C&NW
3/29/57 NYO&W ends
3/57 SP "Halloween" paint scheme
8/30/57 NC&STL to L&N. Black freight, dark blue passenger paint scheme to 1962.
7/16/58 First photo of SP gray & scarlet paint scheme, E7A 6002. Last Daylight repaint approx 9/58?
1958 ATSF starts Indian Red paint and "Shock Control" on freight cars
10/6/58 UP acquires control of SI (Spokane International) and 10 RS-1s
4/59 CB&Q (C&S) starts Chinese red locos, 11 SD9s. CB&Q red SD24s arrive 5/59.
4, 5/59 ATSF zebra RSD-15 & SD24. Within "a few months" begin aluminum 54" lettering on a min 8 RSD-15s & 4 SD24s.
6/59 UP "Dependable Transportation" replaces "Serves All The West" starts w/SD24s. Add 10" number on cab side, hood side number from 8" to 10"
6/59 NYC Century Green & cigar band logo.
1959 C&WC merged into ACL
12/1/59 VGN to N&W.
5/60 ATSF blue & yellow "bookend" scheme. RSD-15 #824+, SD24 #945+.
mid 1960 NdeM red/green
8/60 SOU gains control of CofG (includes CofG control of Savannah & Atlanta).
10/17/60 EL from DL&W + ERIE.
11/1/60 M&StL to C&NW.
1/1/61 SOO from MStP&SSM, DSS&A, WC.
4/27/61 MP "Jenks" blue paint scheme.
1961 PRR ends shadow keystone.
1961 CN "noodle" image.
10/31/61 T&NO absorbed into SP.
2/62 SOO red & white
7/62 L&N GP30 first new gray and yellow units.
4/63 GN "simplified Empire Builder paint scheme GP30s.
6/7/63 CofG from SLSF control to SOU ownership.
4/64 SP&S C-424. First broad stripe units.
10/16/64 NYC&STL (NKP) merged into N&W. WAB, P&WV leased by N&W. N&W gains control of AC&Y.
1/14/65 SLSF Orange & White scheme.
8/13/65 PE merged into SP.
5/66 - 2/67 SAL GP40 & light green paint scheme
1966 ATSF Cabooses from BCR to Indian Red.
1966 PFE starts white initials and number in solid black rectangle.
1/67 IC "Split Rail" orange & white scheme.
5/67 GN starts Big Sky Blue
5/10/1967 C&EI to MP
1967 N&W starts Pevler blue, was black.
7/1/67 SCL from SAL + ACL.
2/1/68 PC from NYC + PRR.
1968 UP acquires Mt. Hood Railway, creates MH Rwy subsidiary.
1968 Start ACI labels.
7/1/68 CGW merged into C&NW.
7/68 CP "Multimark" red paint scheme.
7/29/68 FDDM&S to CNW
9/1/68 Tennessee Central ends. ROW to IC, L&N, SOU. Some locos to L&N.
12/31/68 NH to PC.
1/69 RI starts large "speed lettering" maroon & yellow (U33Bs 285 - 289 and GP40s 382 - 396)
6/6/69 L&N gets MP ex-C&EI Woodland Jct-Evansville line, equipment.
1969 PFE starts large black outlined white P, F, & E in road name (right side of door)
7/1/69 P&N to SCL
3/2/70 BN from GN + NP + CB&Q. SP&S leased. MILW access to Portland BN Hoyt St 3/22/70.
3-4/70 RI starts large "speed lettering" red & yellow (GP40s 4700 - 4719)
6/1/70 All cars must have ACI labels.
1970 UP drops "Railroad" from shield.
7/70 Trailer Train changes from BCR to yellow.
8/70 WP starts green (dark) scheme with GP40 3506 wreck rebuild. New GP40s 3517-3526 Aug 1970 in green.
5/1/71 Amtrak formed. (holdouts are SOU, CRI&P, GA, & D&RGW).
6/71 Auto-Train begins.
1971 N&W locos revert to black.
1971 PFE marks begin change to SPFE and UPFE.
1971 UP Begins Kennifeck Green on MW equip.
Mid 71 UP changes caboose lettering from 8" stacked to 14" in-line.
1971 KCS locos from red to white.
7/31/71 Monon (MON, CI&L, Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville) to L&N.
10/71 ATSF starts Blue Bonnet scheme on Fs
4/1/72 PGE (Pacific Great Eastern) renamed BCR (British Columbia Railway).
5/72 ATSF starts Yellow Bonnet scheme.
1972 MKT locos from red to green.
1972 PFE ends ice service (ice car ventilator service continues) (Top icing continues?)
1972 UP starts "We Can Handle It" logo
1972 AAR recommends single-panel COTS panels for new & rebuilt cars. Thru 1974.
8/10/72 ICG from IC + GM&O + C&G.
8/72 Chessie System Vermillion/Yellow/Blue paint scheme begins.
11/10/72 SCL gains control of L&N. (Family Lines- paint scheme not 'til '8-77?).
3/1/73 MILW access to Louisville due 1971 L&N Monon takeover
1/1/74 NS (original) to SOU
6/15/74 MILW ends all electric operations (Rockies).
1974 WP "Perlman" (lighter) green
7/74 FRA requires two-panel COTS panels on all cars. Thru 1/78.
4/75 RI "The Rock" light blue & white scheme.
10/75 UP changed loco side lettering from 11" to 20" except on GP7, 9, 20 and SD7s.
4/1/76 CR from PC, LV, CNJ, EL, RDG, L&HR, L&NE, CR&I, PRSL, BCK, NY&LB, MHM, B&E, CI, Ironton, L&WV, NJ, P&A, TPT, W&N, Raritan River.
1/12/77 VIA Rail Canada created as CN subsidiary.
8/77 "Family Lines" formed: SCL , L&N, CRR.
1/1/78 OE (Oregon Electric) and OT (Oregon Trunk) absorbed into BN.
1/1/78 End mandatory ACI labels.
1/78 FRA requires three-panel COTS stencils.
4/1/78 PFE dissolved equally to SP & UP.
4/1/78 VIA Rail Canada becomes separate crown corporation.
9/29/78 VIA assumes operation of CP passenger trains.
1979 ACI system abandonded.
1979 SD&AE sold to San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board.
?/79 ex-RI lines to SP/SSW, DRGW, KCT.
2/80 MILW cuts back to Miles City, MT.
3/31/80 RI ceases operations.
10/80 SSW gets ex-RI KC-Tucumcari line.
11/1/80 CSX Corp formed from Chessie System (C&O-B&O-WM) & SCL.
11/21/80 SLSF merged into BN.
6/16/81 GTI (Guilford Transportation Industries) purchases MEC.
1981 PFE begins all white scheme
9/1/81 IT (Illinois Terminal) to N&W.
6/1/82 Norfolk Southern Corp. from N&W + SOU.
1982 WP and MP control by UP.
12/29/82 L&N absorbed into SCL, name changed to SBD (Seaboard System), controlled by CSX.
6/28/83 GTI purchases B&M.
12/23/83 Santa Fe Industries and Southern Pacific Company (parent companies) merged to form the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation Railroads not merged.
1/1/84 GTW absorbs DT&I.
1/5/84 GTI gains control of D&H.
3/23/84 SFSP Corp. files with ICC to merger railroads as the Southern Pacific & Santa Fe Railway.
7/85 SP first locos receive "Kodachrome" scheme.
1/1/86 MILW to SOO.
1986 CSX Paint scheme begins.
6/15/87 SN (Sacramento Northern) and TS (Tidewater Southern) absorbed into WP.
6/16/87 WP absorbed into UP.
6/30/87 ICC denies merger, orders SFSP Corp. to divest itself of one or both railroads.
10/31/87 MRL (Montana Rail Link) created by BN line sale.
12/30/87 OWRN, DC (Dechutes), and YVT absorbed into OSL (Oregon Short Line). OSL absorbed into UP.
LA&SL, MH (Mt.Hood), and SI absorbed into UP.
8/12/88 UP gains control of MKT.
10/13/88 RGI (Rio Grande Industries) gains control of SP.
1/91 CP gains control D&H (Delaware & Hudson).
9/30/92 SP absorbs NWP (Northwestern Pacific) and VE (Visalia Electric).
4/25/95 UP purchases remainder of stock and assumes control of C&NW.
10/1/95 UP absorbs C&NW.
9/11/96 UP gains control of SP.
12/31/96 BNSF formed.

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I need confirmation for the WP greens.  So far I have:

     WP 1st green, a very dark olive-drab hue nicknamed "MacLeod green" was GP40 3506 wrecked in March 1970 and repaired at EMD and new GP40s 3517-3526.
     WP 2nd green, more blueish, was GP40s #3527-3544 (new construction, Aug-Sep 1971) and Sacramento Northern GP7s #711-712 (repaints) dubbed "Perlman green".
     WP 3rd, lighter or brighter green (Sterling polyurethane) took place "about April 1973".

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For detailed info on freight car changes thru 1960 see the files section of the STMFC io group.

[drsvelte]

Very useful! Thanks.

[onequiknova]

Neat info. You could create a fairly substantial spreadsheet just covering the Rock Island's numerous paint schemes and variations. I see you got a few of them.

[wagnersteve]

June 30, about 6:10 p.m., EDT

Baikal, thanks for a very useful post. Will try to post relevant D&H paint scheme changes on this thread next week. Have a lot of work to do before heading to Vermont for a long weekend with family tomorrow morning.

[Baikal]

Jun 30, 2023 13:41:08 GMT -8 onequiknova said:

Neat info. You could create a fairly substantial spreadsheet just covering the Rock Island's numerous paint schemes and variations. I see you got a few of them.

Thanks.  I'll add more RI dates. They did have a lot of changes.

Early to Mid-60s Texas must have been interesting with almost every Class I railroad having two or more paint schemes.

[lars]

Nice list. I can contribute a few.

Western Maryland “circus” - 6/69
Conrail “Quality” - 3/91
Reading yellow and green - 1962
MKT green/yellow - 1971

I’m no going to touch the Lehigh Valley, which in terms of paint schemes gives the Rock Island a run for it’s money.

[cemr5396]

CN and CP both went through several paint scheme changes beyond what was mentioned in the time period covered.

CN went from the original 'Black Widow' scheme of all black with red ends, to the later striped scheme, finally to the "North America" scheme, which I believe was the last one in the timeline covered.

CP also went through several paint schemes - depending if you count the end stripes and Multimark changing sizes, and the eventual deletion of the Multimark. I would but maybe some others would not. Then of course you have the somewhat infamous CP Rail System 'Dual Flags' scheme, which would definitely count as new.

I can try and track down some years for those later but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[lvrr325]

Jun 30, 2023 19:51:36 GMT -8 lars said:

Nice list. I can contribute a few.

Western Maryland “circus” - 6/69
Conrail “Quality” - 3/91
Reading yellow and green - 1962
MKT green/yellow - 1971

I’m no going to touch the Lehigh Valley, which in terms of paint schemes gives the Rock Island a run for it’s money.

Lehigh Valley:

3-4/60 - last units delivered in red with black stripes
(approximately) 1/63 - Tuscan red with one yellow stripe, similar to PRR passenger locos, same roman lettering as delivered - adopted for in house repaints
11/64 - C420s delivered grey/yellow with tall lettering and flags
11/65 - C628s delivered white/black with large lettering and flags
(mid)/71 - units 216, 301 painted tuscan with wide yellow band
12/71 - bright red with tall lettering and yellow stripe adopted with delivery of GP38ACs; scheme adopted as standard with some variations
Units 406, 627, 630 receive hybrid Tuscan scheme with tall lettering and yellow stripe; all road unit repaints past this point get bright red with tall yellow lettering.  Switchers get a variant with shorter lettering. 

By 4/76 only two road units remain in tuscan red, 406, 627, plus four other C628s in original Snowbird paint plus two C420s in grey 412, 413; some RS11s and GP18s remain Tuscan, only a few switchers remain with black stripes; both wide yellow band units standardized 
  

[cemr5396]

12/71 - GTW introduces blue paint scheme on locomotives
3/73 - CN introduces striped paint scheme on locomotives
11/92 - CN North America scheme debuts on second C40-8M order
6/95 - CN simplifed scheme without North America map is introduced on SD70Is

[fr8kar]

It's probably too detailed a rundown for a list like this that seems to be tailored to major milestones, but if you don't mind getting in the weeds Don Strack's Utah Rails site has some great information on the evolution of Union Pacific paint schemes over the years. I'm sure it seems like that scheme practically never changed since the early diesel era but there have been lots of little changes and utahrails.net covers them very thoroughly:

utahrails.net/up/up-diesel-paint-index.php

[Baikal]

Jul 1, 2023 15:02:22 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

It's probably too detailed a rundown for a list like this that seems to be tailored to major milestones, but if you don't mind getting in the weeds Don Strack's Utah Rails site has some great information on the evolution of Union Pacific paint schemes over the years. I'm sure it seems like that scheme practically never changed since the early diesel era but there have been lots of little changes and utahrails.net covers them very thoroughly:

utahrails.net/up/up-diesel-paint-index.php

I have a lot of UP paint info from the utahrails.net/ website.  There's so much there and it's very accurate.  Well organized, too.  UP kept great records and Don Stack has done a great service by maintaining his massive site.

I edited out most of the UP stuff for the list I posted here, like lettering size & location and slogan changes.  I was focusing on SP with UP a close 2nd when I did most of the work on my timeline.

Thanks to everyone else who contributed info.

[fr8kar]

Here's a fun fact, one for the folks modeling the time of the BN-Frisco merger. The last locomotive in Frisco paint to get BN green and black was GP38-2 451, which was repainted to BN 2306 in August '83 less than three years after the merger. So if you're operating sublettered Frisco power you're doing so in an awfully tight window!

Frisco's chairman, Richard Grayson, was named CEO of BN following the merger and was reportedly the driving force behind making over Frisco into BN as quickly as possible. It's a far cry from today's merged railroads, which still have pre-merger paint schemes adorning many locomotives.

[bnsf971]

Jul 1, 2023 19:25:37 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

. It's a far cry from today's merged railroads, which still have pre-merger paint schemes adorning many locomotives.

Case in point, I watched a Youtube video last night chronicling the history of a Milwaukee Road GP40 that as of a few weeks ago was still wearing its as-delivered paint.