# RAIL ROAD'S COMPANY COLORS?



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok I was just reading TRAINS magazine. In it is the artical on WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE rail road. The engine is painted BLACK AND ORANGE. 

I thought BLACK AND ORANGE was DENVER AND RIO GRAND colors. Did two different companies use the same colors? Did they allow that? 

Anyone got any imput?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I dunno... looks awfully familiar......right down to the font style...


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I dont think Railroads could ever copyright an actual paintscheme..(well..im sure UP has tried!  
The logos and railroad name itself can be copyrighted..but not colors or fonts. 

Rio Grande probably didnt invent the scheme themselves anyway.. 
EMD came up with quite a few of the the "official" railroad paintschemes during the early diesel era, 
and many railroads had the same basic design, just with changes in color. 

Check out the LV: 
http://www.jefflubchanskycpa.com/LV576CPMYNJ-MY22-4D46.jpg 

B&M: 
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=206112&nseq=8 

MEC: 
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=165541 


Same basic paintscheme, different colors..(even more railroads used that EMD 3-stripe design) 

Algoma Central took the Erie Lackawanna passenger scheme and applied it to modern freight units: 
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1123651 
http://algomacentral.railfan.net/images/AlgoCenRy/182_1.jpg 

Finger Lakes Railway, a central NY shortline, today is running engines with New York Central lightning stripes: 
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=132247&nseq=16 

D&H kept the Santa Fe warbonnet scheme on the Alco PA's and Sharks.. 
just changing red to blue.. 

So I have always figured that colors, fonts and stripes can be used with impunity.. 
only a railroad name and logo/herald can actually be copyrighted. 

Scot


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

If your railroad's colors are the same as some other railroad's then you can buy used equipment and save on repainting it.


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Black and orange railroad colours...........don't forget the Milwaukee Road.


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## MarkLewis (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 06/02/2008 8:31 PM
Ok I was just reading TRAINS magazine. In it is the artical on WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE rail road. The engine is painted BLACK AND ORANGE. 
I thought BLACK AND ORANGE was DENVER AND RIO GRAND colors. Did two different companies use the same colors? Did they allow that? 
Anyone got any imput? 




Look closely at the photos in the article. You'll find a loco with DRG lettering in one of their trains. 

By the way, the article is one of the best _Trains_ has run in some time, fully devoted to the operations of the RR over a short period of time. 



Mark


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## Chris France (Jan 3, 2008)

Don't forget my favorite RR to use orange and black.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Mark 
I like TRAINS MAGAZINE. I only get two magazines TRAINS and GARDEN RR. 

I do enjoy reading the atricals in the mag. 

Chirs 

I sure do like your use of Orange and Black. Those two engines look great.


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## Chris France (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks JJ, although the credit, oddly enough, belongs to Pat McGinnis President of the New Haven RR during the '50s and one of the biggest crooks in recent RR history. He may have been a crook, but he commissioned one of the most impressive corporate image rebadgings in history.


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## Snoq Pass (Jan 2, 2008)

For awhile, Milwaukee Road used UP colors for their streamliners. 


Milwaukee Road - Milwaukee Paint Scheme 











Milwaukee Road - Union Pacific Paint Scheme


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Snoq. Pass 

In my researches into the MILW RR I had noticed pics with the "yellow" road colours. Initially I thought it might be a faded orange but a closer look at the pics said it wasn't. 
I am not a great UP Armour Yellow fan and much prefer the back/orange that I have seen on most MILW RR pics.excepting, of course, the maroon/orange which was sharp.


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

*"Don't forget my favorite RR to use orange and black."* 
To second Chris's comments... /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wow.gif 








/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif Tom


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

During the end of regular passenger service, the Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific combined several of their 'long run' trains together (mostly UP's "Cities" trains). Cars (and some locos) from both railroads were pooled together. Since most of the run was on UP's track, the UP required the Milwaukee to paint their equipment to match. Thus is the reason for UP colored Milwaukee equipment. 

Now the Rock Island also had several UP colored E units. These were sold to the Rock as used equipment, the Rock simply painted over the UP name and shield and slapped on a RI logo. 

If you want to see old paint schemes with new owners, look up photos of the KYLE railroad (www.railpictures.net), they rarely painted anything and sometimes didn't even remove the previous owner's name. 

Chris


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

Posted By Chris France on 06/04/2008 6:07 AM
Don't forget my favorite RR to use orange and black. 











looks like the bodies and cabs are switched! 

very nice btw


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