Atlas October All Scales Catalog

[bbussey]

The “Spans the World” campaign, while noteworthy, isn’t the same as big bold initials stretching across nearly one half of the car, coupled with bold disparate paint colors. Other roads followed the NH and B&M examples, and corporate America followed in the 1960s.

[Missaberoad]

The “Spans the World” campaign, while noteworthy, isn’t the same as big bold initials stretching across nearly one half of the car, coupled with bold disparate paint colors. Other roads followed the NH and B&M examples, and corporate America followed in the 1960s.

I will concede the bold colors, but as far as big bold initials Soo Line was the first (not by much mind you) in that regard with their 1951 scheme...


That being said, my examples are oddities and I do agree with you that the Mcginnis schemes heralded in the Era of bold corporate image that defined the 60s and 70s so well...

[learmoia]

I will concede the bold colors, but as far as big bold initials Soo Line was the first (not by much mind you) in that regard with their 1951 scheme...


That being said, my examples are oddities and I do agree with you that the Mcginnis schemes heralded in the Era of bold corporate image that defined the 60s and 70s so well...

Given today's XXXX ###### standard, I always wondered how (mainly Southern).. but also SOO LINE got away with either no reporting marks , or "SOO LINE" as a reporting mark into the 60s and 70s...  in the sense of AAR/ICC standards for a nation wide freight car pool...

~Ian

[nkalanaga]

Probably because they'd been doing it for so long that everyone who needed to knew them.  The "short forms" were SOO and SOU.

Today, smaller railroads come and go so fast that that wouldn't work.

[Chris333]

Erie's reporting mark is ERIE 

[learmoia]

Yeah.. However there were still "Southern" cars rolling around in the mid 2000s, and they started showing up on our midwest shortline, and I would chuckle at some of the things they tried to write on their track lists.. not knowing the initial.. (usually S or they would try to cram in Southern)

Funnier thing, our general manager started his railroad career on Southern's Steam program in the 70s.

Also interesting that Canadian Pacific's equipment 'initial' is CP, however thier waybill routing initial is CPRS

~Ian

[dem34]

Yeah.. However there were still "Southern" cars rolling around in the mid 2000s, and they started showing up on our midwest shortline, and I would chuckle at some of the things they tried to write on their track lists.. not knowing the initial.. (usually S or they would try to cram in Southern)

Funnier thing, our general manager started his railroad career on Southern's Steam program in the 70s.

Also interesting that Canadian Pacific's equipment 'initial' is CP, however thier waybill routing initial is CPRS

~Ian

2019 and those "Southern" marked boxcars still show up on CR's Southern Secondary.

[wcfn100]

Given today's XXXX ###### standard, I always wondered how (mainly Southern).. but also SOO LINE got away with either no reporting marks , or "SOO LINE" as a reporting mark into the 60s and 70s...  in the sense of AAR/ICC standards for a nation wide freight car pool...

There were several roads that did this.

This might be the longest:



Jason