Do people like the Big Sky Blue GN scheme?

Originally Posted by breezinup:

 

Speaking of "Goat Heads," it's interesting to note that the GN was the only American railroad to ever use an animal in its logo.

Where does this one fit in?

As I noted above earlier: 

"I think the reference where I read about the unique GN logo was referring to the actual logos used, and probably on original heritage railroads and not come-lately merger roads. Otherwise I suppose the argument could be made that Chessie System used a cat and would qualify."

Thanks.

I'm sure you as a died-in-the-wool Friscophile  know about Frisco, TX, one of the fastest growing 'burbs in Dallas (really, in the country) (new home to the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and practice fields, and Museum of American Railroads, among other things), but it's interesting how they embrace their original heritage as Frisco Junction. The Frisco logo appears everywhere, from the front of their Heritage Museum to road signs to the city's websites - even their original water tower has the Frisco logo on it. 

I'll bet very few citizens know the story of the coonskin! I wonder if anyone at the museum knows that story? 

"That be a coonskin up thar!"

I like the cat very much, but Chessie was a symbol, not the logo used by the railroad placed on the railroad's engines and cars.

Huh?? Where do you come up with that??

On Wednesday, February 14, 1973, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for          CHESSIE SYSTEM by Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, The, CLEVELAND 44101.          The USPTO has given the CHESSIE SYSTEM trademark serial  number of  72448769.

You can read about the trademark here...http://www.trademarkia.com/che...system-72448769.html

It's all over the locomotives as it was the company logo/ trademark...

Meow!!

Since there is so much about the animals.  Some may not know the GN goat had a name... Rocky! (to go with the mountain range).

As I said earlier above (which is a quote from what I said even earlier above several hours ago):

"I think the reference where I read about the unique GN logo was referring to the actual logos used, and probably on original heritage railroads and not come-lately merger roads. Otherwise I suppose the argument could be made that Chessie System used a cat and would qualify."

The Chessie System was not a heritage American railroad. Indeed, it was a come-lately merger road, actually a holding company made up of a number of railroads that went out of business:

"Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O), the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), the Western Maryland Railway (WM), and several smaller carriers."

It looks like the Forum members born before 1967 do not like Big Sky Blue.

The Forum members born after 1967 do like Big Sky Blue.

Andrew

The GN used to run television ads back in the 50s and early 60s that we saw growing up (lived in the Twin Cities area). Rocky, in cartoon form, would appear and talk in a deep voice about riding on the Great Northern while pictures showed. There'd be a music jingle, and at the end, he'd re-appear and say "Go Great Northern....it's Grrrrrrreat!"

GN changed the goat figure logo a bit from time to time over the years. Here's a 1921 ad:

No, Your original post was/ is

Speaking of "Goat Heads," it's interesting to note that the GN was the only American railroad to ever use an animal in its logo.

Nowhere does that mis-leading statement state anything about pre or post merger railroads...that's just something you thru in after the fact.

So far we have the Chessie System, Frisco, Norfolk Southern and may as well count the Canadian Pacific Beaver in this list as Canada is part of North America.

Suppose one could count the Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha logo as it's a American Indian and after all isn't man an animal?

Oh , I think the GN orange & green is a terrible paint scheme and that goes along with the new BNSF paint...and yes I was born before 1960.

Let me get this straight.... The OP asked if people liked the GN Big Sky scheme and three pages later people are arguing about Cats, Goats, and Raccoons? Lol...

I pretty much like the Sky Blue scheme.  It was a breath of fresh air in the late 60's as many of the old 50's schemes were either being simplified, not maintained or replaced with dip jobs.

The only thing it doesn't really work for me was on F-units.(your opinion may vary...)  To me, it looks a little awkward on the F's.  On hood and cowl units, it looked fine.

Rusty

Yes. Silly, isn't it? Let's try and get it back on track.

Never mind the fact that you're hard pressed to find any major railroad in history that wasn't involved with subsidiaries, mergers or acquisitions at one point or another.

I don't think it is silly for a conversation to branch out, especially when the original topic has been exhausted.  Try "normal".

Perhaps silly was a poor choice of words. I agree, conversations that branch-out from original topics are often more interesting than the original post. However, I think it's more constructive when such cogitations don't turn into sward fights.

lol it's ok, I learned a few new things along the way! 

A parting thought about animals in railroad logo's...

Bear:

Beaver:

Moose:

Seems out neighbors to the north are quite fond of them.

Rusty

Oh, for heaven's sake. It's just an informal discussion here, not a legal argument! I made it clear that I read it somewhere - I didn't come up with it!

Some people seem to love to parse things to death, and turn things into a contest to try to find fault.

Let's move on from that. 

Yes, they are, Rusty, and that includes Alaska, it seems. Just got back from a trip to Alaska, and rode the White Pass and Yukon out of Skagway, and just remembered the decoration they use on the front of some of their engines (actually from a totem):

This is what happens when there's not a new catalog out every two weeks to talk about...

Rusty

GN 441 Goes "Big Sky Blue."

Interesting website, just click on the photo.

That's a different way to use a display engine. They did the same thing with a caboose.

I like most shades of blue . . . . but yuck!

Tell me aboutthe "Hustle Muscle" train.  I do not like chop- noses, but this one is very attractive.  I might even repaint the SD 6 to that scheme.  I won't chop its nose, tho . . .

Did the SDP40 and 45's come out in EB or BSB liveries?

I hate it love the green and pumkin

The answer is on the gngoat.com website

Andrew

Did the SDP40 and 45's come out in EB or BSB liveries?

The SDP40's, numbers 320 to 325 were delivered in the simplified orange and green scheme. All except #323 were repainted big sky blue.

The SDP45's, numbers 326 to 333, were all delivered in big sky blue.

bobby stricklin (trainbuddies) has four items with this scheme on the bay right now.  a U 33-C, boxcar, stock car and extended vision caboose.  all proceeds going to alzheimer's association - florida gulf coast.

GN 400 was delivered in May, 1966 to the Minneapolis Junction Roundhouse in St. Paul, MN and was christened “Hustle Muscle” by the Great Northern Railway. In 1970, this locomotive became Burlington Northern “6430”.  In September, 1973 “6430” underwent Class One repairs at Livingston, Montana and was repainted in cascade green.  At the request of numerous railfans and employees, “6430” retained its       “Hustle Muscle” nickname.

In 1986, “6430” was retired and donated to the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. In 1989, “6430” was repainted to its original GN 400 paint scheme at Grand Forks, ND. GN 400 was then stored at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

In mid-December 2000, GN 400 made the trip from Duluth to St. Paul.  It was on display at the BNSF Northtown Diesel Shop (Minneapolis, MN) and is now berthed in its permanent home at the MTM Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul, MN.

In 2006 our big SD45 received a great new paintjob at the Wisconsin & Southern shop in Horicon, Wisconsin.

As far as I can tell the Williams U33C was never produced in the GN Big Sky Blue and Charcoal Gray paint scheme like the real Great Northern U33C diesel locos built in 1969 by General Electric.

Andrew

Lionel did. 

And don't forget that Lionel made an undersized U36B in the BSB along with a matching baywindow caboose back in the late 1970s. I have both and like them.

Lionel produced the O Scale super-detailed U33C loco after Williams introduced their version of the U33C loco.

Were the old guys running Williams at the time such big fans of the Great Northern Orange and Green that they would never make it in the Charcoal Gray and Big Sky Blue?

Andrew