Read about the Speed Lettering of D&RGW Here's a link to Utahrails site which describes the different Rio Grande lettering & paint schemes. http://utahrails.net/drgw/rg-diesel-paint-schemes.php#large
With just a quick look through the D&RGW books, the earliest I found the large lettering was December of 68. Quite a few SD45's got the big letters right away during 68' and 69' though because they went into pool service with the UP on coal trains out of Sunnyside UT and were going to leave Grande rails. So, traveling between Utah and California the Grande wanted their name to be seen on thier new 45's. Other 45's like 5331 weren't in the pool service but got the big letters in April 69' anyways. I'm sure as you know, some of the 45's never got big letters while most did. You basicly have to pick a number and trace it back through history and see when it got the large lettering.
It is my understanding Joe that the term "Speed Lettering" only applies to SP repainted units, not D&RGW:tb-confused:. After all the lettering stencils used by D&RGW have always included the 'speed' effect, no matter what since '39? dave
Well said. And frankly it sickens me to continually read in forums the ungrateful comments and derision of manufacturers model/ road/ paint decisions that the vocal minority always find fault with. Until you are there making something yourself- you have no room to criticise others. Now, what period are the Kodachrome road numbers being produced- because a healthy review of espee web site found only 80xx ranges. regards dave
:thumbs_up:Correct. All the info you require, validated and verified by historians and model buffs alike, is at <http://utahrails.net/drgw/rg-diesel-paint-schemes.php#large>. Suffice to say, there was variety. The next 'new' bunch of locos were the latter series of GP40's delivered in 1969 in large herald scheme. regards dave
Wow, just a quick read through this thread...and the negativity. It's like Kato's gonna throw away the molds after this run and boo hoo I'll never get a "eastern road" SD45. Good grief, they're just doing names that haven't been done before...There'll be more. As for me asking about the Marrs light, I was just wondering. I saw an ad that said they were coming with "prototype details", so I wondered. I didn't see anything about undecs, so I wondered, not complained. Usually Kato releases undecs, even with the ACe's although you have to buy the shell from parts. Undecs are typically fast sellers, so they make them. I'm not sure if they still do, but there use to be a section on their site of all the custom stuff people have made from their products and they promoted that. Kind of a look what you can do with our product thing. All we can do is wait and see. nd-rails/ Dave, they're Santa Fe (not SP)kodachromes #5345 and 5348 if that matters as to the info you are looking for.
Thanks for the info. 99% of my remaining box cars contain roof walks, so I was hoping that the large letter SD45's wouldn't be too out of place at the front of a string of them. Something about the DRGW is hard to resist. A year ago all I had RioGrandish was the CZ passenger sets due to their Burlington connection. "Somehow," I've now wound up with a full set of F3's and PA's as well. Looks like SD45's will be added as well. I've always considered that scheme to be the nicest applied to any second generation diesel. :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:
hmmmm, I was planning on a pair of F45s someday for the ANRR; might have to change it to a couple of ex-GN SD45s.
I've got a couple of the first run of the SD45's from the 1990's. Hopefully there will be a second run of this iteration later on that will include Hustle Muscle in Cascade Green (though I'll likely grab the GN one for now).
I have talked to Kato a few times about that, and they say that they get A LOT of requests for that car... I think they will do it one day. I have a lot of phase III and a couple of phase IV baggage cars that I have decaled that all work with the IV and IVb Superliners. Seems like no one ever does the "complete solution" for Amtrak trains which is really frustrating. You always have to kitbash, decal and paint to get things up to speed! Chris
Perhaps... but... The effect used by Rio Grande on their lettering from 1939 to 1968 was known as the 'flying' Rio Grande. The Southern Pacific and the Rio Grande were merged in 1988. The "Speed Lettering" scheme is essentially an adaptation of the Rio Grande' lettering scheme which began to appear in 1991 on Southern Pacific locomotives. Allegedly... the resemblance of the Rio Grande lettering to the Southern Pacific lettering was to boost employee morale after the merger. Sounds a bit weird... but thats what I read here http://espee.railfan.net/91_96.html While I don't have evidence that the Rio Grande ever called their scheme "Speed Lettering"... I believe it was just simply called "Large" lettering. Due to the similarity... the SP "Speed Lettering" scheme moniker has become inherited by many of the Rio Grande followers. That despite Rio Grande actually began using this 'style' of lettering in 1968... 23 years before Southern Pacific adopted it. Go figure! Lets face it... "Speed Lettering" is far more interesting than "Large" lettering. I certainly feel Rio Grande followers have a claim to the 'trademark' of the lettering style and scheme name!
Yes I know that and deliberately avoided adding another term that would add to confusion. And that is the entire point. Only "inherited" when incorrectly applied. It is NOT EVER a reference to D&RGW logo types or units* at all, but to address the 'Rio Grande style' as applied TO SP UNITS that heretofore had 'Roman' (or other serifed) SP lettering only. *Exception perhaps to be made of those units repainted into SP colours. dave
Sadly, I can believe it. Corporate leaders sometimes have very strange ideas about what motivates the "common" man. I have a Penn Central video that shows the various experimental PC logos that the braintrust came up with. Seems they felt that making the P or C a color of one of the predecessor roads (I remember them talking about the Tuscan C version) would help morale. Perhaps morale would have been better served if they had been more focused on staying out of bankruptcy. :tb-mad:
I am also disappointed there are no SP's but optimistic KATO will release them later on. The KATO site mentions nothing about ditch lights so I looked up old SD45 photos. Looking at the prototype photos of D&RGW SD45, I noticed the absence of ditch lights. Was it not mandatory at that period? I would like KATO to include snow plows as all D&RGW had them. Cheers,
Ditch lights weren't mandatory till sometime in the 90's. I was looking at using fiber optics for porch mount ditch lights on a 45 the other day and well, I'll just leave it at "Oh boy?" Maybe I'll try the LED route. As for kato making them with snow plows, that would require a new sill/pilot mold for a plow to mount to. We'll probably just have to use BLMA plows, or if you got one of those nice Sunrise ones laying around.
