SP liveries

[RockGp40]

Out of curiosity, which paint scheme was the Southern Pacific using in the late 1970s, 78 specifically?

[C855B]

Gray and scarlet, with serif ("roman") lettering, big sans-serif SP in white on the nose. Black Widow was long gone, speed lettering didn't come until 1988.

[GaryHinshaw]

Case(s) in point:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/635899/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/685440/

These are 1974, but the only difference between '74 and '78 is the appearance of Tunnel Motors in place of the classic SD45's.  The livery was the same until the '80s.  What a great decade for the SP.  I remember it fondly.

[eja]

Case(s) in point:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/635899/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/685440/

These are 1974, but the only difference between '74 and '78 is the appearance of Tunnel Motors in place of the classic SD45's.  The livery was the same until the '80s.  What a great decade for the SP.  I remember it fondly.

Much too clean to SP locomotives.  '74 you say ? - must have been when they still had people who knew what a wash rack was and to operate it.

[C855B]

Much too clean to SP locomotives.  '74 you say ? - must have been when they still had people who kkew waht a wash rack was and to operate it.

Heh. Those units were out of the Roseville pool. Operating over Donner the snow would scour the grime off.

[wazzou]

Having grown up in the suburbs of Sacramento, within earshot and the shaking of ordinance explosions in Antelope, I frequently visited Roseville railfanning.
A couple great memories of my childhood were watching races at All American Speedway outside of Roseville and seeing trains head North from the Wye in Roseville toward Lincoln.
We went to races at Altamont Speedway in Tracy and saw trains on the paralleling and crisscrossing WP and SP lines.
I also watched Football games at the old Hughes Stadium where you could climb to the top rows of seats and watch the WP switch trains in their Sacramento yard.

[Missaberoad]

Hmmmm... Southern Pacific, Rock Island... 1970's...


1977


1979


1975

[RockGp40]

Thanks for the answers, fellas. Well, it's my railroad and I'll be running a speed lettering  SP SD40-2 with my bankruptcy blue. I traded a Chessie B30-7 from Atlas for the Kato SD. It's a smooth runner.

[johnb]

Starting in 1971, road numbers were replaced with SP initials on the nose, 1972, the last 2 F7'S in Black Widow was retired....