.... What would you change about the current Railroad Paint schemes?

[learmoia]

On a more positive/constructive note, lets approach the G&W-esque subject from this approach.

What would you change (if anything) on the current large Railroad paint schemes.

NS:
Go back to the old logo, but add the 2 color horse mane scheme found on the AC44C6M to all the locomotives but Black/Gray.

CSX:
Once I realized that the current scheme was very similar to the late (Pre-Chessie) B&O/C&O scheme, I grew to like it.
Get rid of the Box Car Logo.
You could tackle 'Heritage' by changing the font to the B&O Font,
Then do a series of Conrail blue units with CSX in the Conrail font
Then do a series of Chessie blue units with CSX in the Chessie font
Then do a series of Seaboard Gray units ... you get the idea..

UP:
Current 'new' scheme but get rid of the CNW Z stripe.  (I could do without the flag too).

BNSF:
Part of me says pick something and stick with it... but BNSF is fun to watch because you get such a variety because they change the scheme every 10-15 years...  They are trying to cram too much heritage into the scheme. 

If I were to re-do it.. I'd stick with the Orange and Black, keep the current font but no swoosh, and simplify the yellow stripes back to what they were doing on H1.

KCS:
... Probably nothing.. it's a nice scheme.

CN:
Take off the WWW.CN.CA.. Replacing Black with GTW Blue on some units would be neat..

CP:
Take off the gold Beaver, and maybe put the 8" stripes nose.  I'm not a huge fan of the current font, but I can't think of something I'd want to change it to.

Wabtec
Yellow nose like current, but transition into a W on the cab... I might choose a 2nd color other than black... too NS'y  Maybe a Santa Fe Blue?

Amtrak..... Phase 3.... Duh.....

And... Drumroll......

G&W..
Orange, with a Black or Orange sill, 2 thick black stripes on the front and rear but tapered at an angle like the old scheme (not across the whole body).
Larger Logo so you can better see the name of the local road.

~Ian

[Dave V]

Easy...  They'd all be Dark Green Locomotive Enamel with 5 gold pinstripes, little keystones, and Clarendon lettering. 

[learmoia]

Easy...  They'd all be Dark Green Locomotive Enamel with 5 gold pinstripes, little keystones, and Clarendon lettering. 

Lets nationalize the railroads while we are at it.  (It'd be a fitting scheme... Standard Railroad of the World)  

 

[mu26aeh]

CSX is dropping the boxcar logo, basically returning to YN3, but will add their website under the logo on sides

[Rivet Miscounter]

I've said this before, but I think BNSF missed an opportunity when they bought their ES44-C4's to reintroduce the most iconic paint scheme in railroad history....the silver warbonnet.   They could have modified it with the Swoosh on the long hood.   The C4's were built for Intermodal service so it would have been a good fit, and served a purpose to help easily identify the units for the the power board.

To a lesser extent, (this is more of a "fan service" thing than an actual business purpose, although the Executive SD70MAC's were the trademark power on coal for two decades plus) I would have also applied the former BN Executive scheme to all of the coal power, namely the SD70ACe's, SD70MAC/AC4400 repaints, and ES44AC's--or at least a subset of them.   Everything else would get the current scheme.

[nkalanaga]

I like the BNSF scheme(s), as they all look like something the GN would have come up with, if it was still around.

NS isn't a "scheme".  It's a black loco with some white lettering.  But, then, so were most steam locos, so it fits their heritage.

[lock4244]

Keep the paint, remove all the bloody GEVO's from beneath it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

My biggest complaint with BNSF is the logo.

It's incredibly uninspired and just looks awkward in every use.

The CSX Boxcar made sense. It was ironic, given how CSX tries to kill off "boxcar railroading", but at least it spoke to what the company did.

As for NS, I think the best improvement they could do would be to make the horse anatomically correct.

[learmoia]

As for NS, I think the best improvement they could do would be to make the horse anatomically correct.

That will come with the employee appreciation unit which will depict a reimagening of the mr. hands video. 

[dem34]

My biggest complaint with BNSF is the logo.

It's incredibly uninspired and just looks awkward in every use.

The CSX Boxcar made sense. It was ironic, given how CSX tries to kill off "boxcar railroading", but at least it spoke to what the company did.

As for NS, I think the best improvement they could do would be to make the horse anatomically correct.

Reg at my LHS
Red Corson, carried a can of color matched spray paint around with him at all times once CR became CSAO. You could tell when an NS unit spent more than a day in Brown's Yard because he would fix the logo at every opportunity.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That will come with the employee appreciation unit which will depict a reimagening of the mr. hands video. 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Extra points if the horse ALSO has the googly eye.

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[peteski]

As for NS, I think the best improvement they could do would be to make the horse anatomically correct.

Have you considered that maybe it is a mare, and is anatomically correct?     

[learmoia]

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you considered that maybe it is a mare, and is anatomically correct?     

I have, but that's not NEARLY as fun!

[Tristan Ashcroft]

Extra points if the horse ALSO has the googly eye.

Ah, ya beat me to it.  I'd tweak the NS scheme so that it was solid blue and had a can opener on it.  As in, not-NS.