TrucTrain55
Well-Known Member
Here’s today’s Western Wednesday. This Piggyback car I custom made out of a old AHM O scale flat car one of my favorites of my Customs I’ve done
I am still amazed that they gave up the totally classy executive scheme for that nasty pumpkin scheme.View attachment 178006View attachment 178007
It's august 6, 2023 and both of these classics are sitting in former Northern Pacific yard in Butte, MT.
What is the "exacutive scheme"...and what is the "pumpkin" scheme? Because there are at least two of the orange and dark green variants.I am still amazed that they gave up the totally classy executive scheme for that nasty pumpkin scheme.
I think you will find that that is the nose and tail of the same orange unit.What is the "exacutive scheme"...and what is the "pumpkin" scheme? Because there are at least two of the orange and dark green variants.
I like the Great Northern motif where you can see the green and without those multiple yellow lines. Then again the original paint schemes from GN, CB&Q and NP are in my eyes far more tasteful than anything of today. Saw this in Montana also as i was heading west:I think you will find that that is the nose and tail of the same orange unit.
The Executive Scheme is the cream and Northern Pacific Loewy dark green. Started as only the Executive Fleet BN#1, BN#2, and BN#3. See RailPicturesArchive.net image below. Then they decided to use it on what they called "high horsepower" units, that were beginning to arrive from the manufacturers. They (mostly SD70s) dominated the southbound coal trains out of Wyoming for several years. Then the merger happened.
Originally they thought they would do a "green warbonnet" with those colors which sounds cool but was not. Then the new president decided he liked the old Empire Builder scheme and BNSF heritage 1 came about. They missed both colors from Empire Builder. Both colors are too bright, so it was nick named the pumpkin. Orange with a green stem. It didn't help when they added the yellow striping with the heritage 2, but then they got smart and made the green darker as it should be with the heritage 3 scheme which is the one shown in the picture. I do have to say that with weathering both the orange and green look better than in new paint.
And then it got worse when they went from pumpkin to totally Halloween replacing the green with black. And then WORSE when they went to the wedgie logo. A wedgie on Halloween, how many bad memories does that bring back as a corporate image.
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Love it Lee!!!!!!!!!!!
Boy, that looks to be an old picture. Lots of stuff missing. Also, is that tall signal on the right a really old ventilation signal? My days there in the 90's had pretty much a light bulb on a telephone pole for the vent signal, probably the one to the right. Give 'Insert Train Here' thread a look and you can somewhat see that.A day late, sorryView attachment 186131
East Scenic looking toward Cascade Tunnel on the old Great Northern.
I'm not sure about signals, but the picture is very recent. That was last August on my western trip.Boy, that looks to be an old picture. Lots of stuff missing. Also, is that tall signal on the right a really old ventilation signal? My days there in the 90's had pretty much a light bulb on a telephone pole for the vent signal, probably the one to the right. Give 'Insert Train Here' thread a look and you can somewhat see that.
Later
Wow, I guess I have not been up there for awhile. Did you drive up a little further? There is an access road ( maybe used to be? ) off to the right you can drive into and park. This is from 2010; you can see where the Jersey Barriers kinda split almost across from the radio/camera tower. A car is sitting there that you can barely make out ( left front fender only shows ).I'm not sure about signals, but the picture is very recent. That was last August on my western trip.
Cool, i did not know 737 boddies were getting through there. Besides that, the place looks the same. On the second pick you're standing almost directly over the track on top of the portal.Wow, I guess I have not been up there for awhile. Did you drive up a little further? There is an access road ( maybe used to be? ) off to the right you can drive into and park. This is from 2010; you can see where the Jersey Barriers kinda split almost across from the radio/camera tower. A car is sitting there that you can barely make out ( left front fender only shows ).
View attachment 186176
All in all, still a great place to train watch. Another one same date just for grins and giggles:
View attachment 186178
In case you don't know, East Portal also has an access road to get to the hole. US2 comes back together about 1.5 miles from Berne. Where it comes together the access road is on the North ( Left if you are heading downhill ). Check that out next time.
Later
These are scans of chemical film. Kinda grainy but have good information. Guessing 1990 for the date.this tunnel entrance looks cool![]()
This the longest tunnel on American network. It's not even close to Swiss tunnels in length, but at almost 8 miles still very long. You can stand at the West Portal right on the track and see the headlight of a train for 20 minutes before it will get close. All you will hear is just a distant deep rumble. This tunnel was also electrified long time ago. Worlds largest in size, single unit electrics used to run through here; Great Northern W1 class. Too bad they went backwards and de electrified this line. Now it's sort of a bottle neck because it takes sometimes half hour to blow out the diesel smoke out if it. The infrastructure that you see on the picture is actually the fan system for blowing out the fumes.this tunnel entrance looks cool![]()