BNSF 25th Anniversary locomotive

[ek2000]

How cool would it be if someone produced a model of this locomotive?

Perhaps scale trains @scaletrains will consider it. I'm seeing their BNSF models sell out before the rest.

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/08/13-bnsf-unveils-25th-anniversary-locomotive

[learmoia]

As long as 10 locomotives means 8 or 9 historical paint schemes... I'm on board...

We just need CN and CSX to get on board now... right?

UP, NS, Amtrak, Metra, NJ Transit, KCS, CP, Iowa Interstate, now BNSF..

[Point353]

Wonder if this paint scheme will be making a return appearance?

[delamaize]

Yeah, if they do the same thing that UP and NS did, and someone made models of them, I'd be in for a NP unit, GN unit, and SP&S unit....

X

As long as 10 locomotives means 8 or 9 historical paint schemes... I'm on board...

We just need CN and CSX to get on board now... right?

UP, NS, Amtrak, KCS, CP, Iowa Interstate, now BNSF..

[dem34]

As long as 10 locomotives means 8 or 9 historical paint schemes... I'm on board...

We just need CN and CSX to get on board now... right?

UP, NS, Amtrak, Metra, NJ Transit, KCS, CP, Iowa Interstate, now BNSF..

NJT has you covered already.

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/10/08-nj-transit-provides-more-details-on-heritage-units

[Ike the BN Freak]

Saw on Facebook, someone had asked, there will be 10 all identical...

[badlandnp]

At least they are finally going down the road of acknowledging their predecessor roads. But it may be just to secure their legal rights to the logo's and such, as they did with the grain hoppers.

[basementcalling]

The photo loco is a weak offering compared to what other roads have done.

Love to see more opportunities to buy existing tooling in new paint schemes.

[keeper]

Compared to other roads, I think just the logos on the current paint scheme is a bit lame.

Thomas

[C855B]

Given the past controversies such as the "Vomit Bonnet" where, for some inexplicable reason, they felt it necessary to engage with the railfan community, who does NOT pay the bills... I tend to think they're avoiding opening another can o' worms by doing something minimalist.

Also... IMHO a new "heritage" unit paying homage to the iconic Santa Fe warbonnet scheme would be counterproductive. They've been trying hard ever since the merger to put that particular public imagery behind them, as in "We're BNSF and not just a bigger Santa Fe." They still have stuff running around in red & silver and yellow & blue, not to mention green. So something new in historic colors would serve to legitimate the legacy schemes roaming the system on old power that would be a waste of resources to repaint, and invoke yet more controversy if they were repainted into something other than their legacy.

In so many words, this is a no-win, and why they would stir the pot with the heralds-only thing puzzles me.

[Rivet Miscounter]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I highly doubt any heritage unit on any railroad has anything to do with railfans.   I believe the idea is to recognize the heritage of the company and the conglomeration of employees from the various railroads that--combined together--make up the current company.   While there are likely few if any left from the 1970 merger participants, that bloodline still runs deep within BNSF, I'm sure.

I'm just bummed they left off the Fort Worth & Denver "The Denver Road" logo.   It made the cut for the hoppers but not this time.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Saw another post, good theory imo, but the minimalist nature of this paint allows them in a few years time when no one cares anymore, or atleast no one at BNSF, they can remove the logos and slap the BNSF wedge on it.

[C855B]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I highly doubt any heritage unit on any railroad has anything to do with railfans. ...

You possibly aren't familiar with the dust-up over the "Vomit Bonnet" scheme many years ago. Somebody or several somebodies in BNSF's PR department took offense with the (now typical) online hate on a couple of railfan forums and it turned into a flame war. I'm simply conjecturing they are wishing to avoid a repeat experience.

Also, there was a bit of discussion in the business press about the difficulties BNSF was having with "corporate dress", that there were specific goals about a new image that didn't dispose of the history altogether but at the same time demarcated a new era. They (whoever "they" were at the time) were primarily concerned, as mentioned, about making certain that the highly-iconic Santa Fe imagery was no longer their business face given their aggressive passenger advertising campaigns as recent as the late 1960s.

[Rivet Miscounter]

You possibly aren't familiar with the dust-up over the "Vomit Bonnet" scheme many years ago. Somebody or several somebodies in BNSF's PR department took offense with the (now typical) online hate on a couple of railfan forums and it turned into a flame war. I'm simply conjecturing they are wishing to avoid a repeat experience.

Also, there was a bit of discussion in the business press about the difficulties BNSF was having with "corporate dress", that there were specific goals about a new image that didn't dispose of the history altogether but at the same time demarcated a new era. They (whoever "they" were at the time) were primarily concerned, as mentioned, about making certain that the highly-iconic Santa Fe imagery was no longer their business face given their aggressive passenger advertising campaigns as recent as the late 1960s.

Only thing I heard about Vomit Bonnet was that it was not officially sanctioned.   I would be surprised, then, that the PR group would get defensive about it--and especially to a group of railfans--when they could simply state it was a rogue, commemorative thing that happened. (which is what was reported in at least a few publications at the time.)   But hey, weirder things have happened....I'm not arguing against the fact that what you are saying actually took place.  People were crazy long before Twitter.    I do think the impact of such a pillow fight to the corporate image was virtually nothing, and would have zero influence on this.

I think this is a simple milestone...nothing more.   The nod to the fallen flags is simply recognizing the century of history that brought all the pieces together that eventually formed BNSF.

[nkalanaga]

The BNSF scheme itself, at least for GN fans, is a heritage scheme.  Put a GN logo on one and it looks fine for a 50-years-later GN loco.