Ok I unfortunately did not get to see the CB&Q Motors when they were wearing black and gray and Chinesse red and gray. The only CB&Q loco's I have seen are now either Cascade green or Heritage orange and green. So for those of you that had the priveledge to snap a few shots, please post them. We don't see as much CB&Q as we should!
I was able to see the change from black to red but I can't find anything in either paint. I also remember tons of GN and NP power in the Cicero yard. That was something in the late 60's. All I can find is the now disappearing green and black. I can ask my mom to go through her parents old pictures when she gets back from Australia next month. I know they had a picture of me with a few E-units. I can crop myself out.
Please do, the transition from red and gray to green and black was an interesting chapter into what is now BNSF.
It was a CB&Q/BN scheme, proposed as the BN scheme, obviously, it failed. The Q didn't have SD45's other than the few that made it into Q' green premerger, right? A few Q GEez made it into green, premerger as well, IIRC.
Hemi, when the "Q" went and ordered the SD45's and U boats, they were delievered in this pre-merger paint scheme. One GP40 was also painted in this pre-merger scheme with the only difference being that the stylized BN was added to the cab sides. I'll get the number for you. Ah another excuse to daydream by looking into one of my many CB&Q books! Also of note, the CB&Q elected to go with the SD45's while the C&S went with the SD40's instead. The C&S SD40's were in the standard red and gray. A few of the C&S SD40's are still on the system in BNSF orange and green!
Hmm, your wife and mine aren't related now are they? For some reason when we go railfanning, only the Cascade green pictures come out! The SD60M is one of her favorites too. But think how much better it would look in red and gray!
Man does that paint scheme bring back memories. I lived in Louisville Colorado as a kid and the CBQ ran by our house. Along with the last commuter trains to Cheyenne (??) I remember seeing this red paint scheme, and later the green. Frankly I like the red John
Now if BNSF had the black and gray with the new logo, that might work Now for the pre-merger paint question. In April of 1967, the Q ordered 15 SD45's #516-530. All were delievered in the Cascade green, white and black without the stylized BN. The very last motors ordered by the Burlington were nine GE U23C's #460-468 also in the same scheme as the SD45's. One locomotive recieved this same scheme and was the only CB&Q motor repainted into the BN scheme like the SD45's and U23C's. #629, a GP40 was repainted in the summer of 1968. Unlike the SD45's and U23C's however, the #629 recieved the new BN logo on its cab sides.
I just ordered some CB&Q detail parts including the CB&Q gyralight for the GP20's. Tina's N Life Like GP20 took a dive in the parking lot at a N-TRak meet last spring and it recieved some damage. Since she is running modern BNSF, I figure this will be the perfect excuse to back date it to the CB&Q.
Well, I suppose as you are a little younger.... Myself, I'll take the earlier era version. And the C&NW 400's paint. And the Milw O/M/B..... Boxcab E50
I have seen E units with the red nose stripes as pictured, but I have also seen them with black stripes as well. What was the significance of the difference? Both were pulling passenger cars.
