A newby question

[DaytonPiquaRR]

This is something I have thought about, but have never been able to identify. No one has ever spoken about it to me or mentioned it in the context of a conversation, but what is the silhouette in the Chessie System logo supposed to be?



I thought it might be a top down view of a coupler, or some animal. What is it supposed to be and why?

 

[SpaceMouse]

Cat (added characters because cat wasn't enough)

 

[DaytonPiquaRR]

Well it looks like a cat, but I thought maybe not because its paw is protruding out its neck.

 

[Smoke]

Here is a link to the picture of the actual cat.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...q=chessie+system+cat&svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&sa=N
-Smoke

 

[DaytonPiquaRR]

Here is a link to the picture of the actual cat.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...q=chessie+system+cat&svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&sa=N
-Smoke

Okay, now that is hilarious. I can see naming a RR after cities or a region, maybe even a founder. But why would you use a sleeping cat as a logo? What is the connection?

Is that Leona Helmsley's cat and it got to become the mascot for a RR?

 

[Mingo Assist]

The story

This is something I have thought about, but have never been able to identify. No one has ever spoken about it to me or mentioned it in the context of a conversation, but what is the silhouette in the Chessie System logo supposed to be?



I thought it might be a top down view of a coupler, or some animal. What is it supposed to be and why?

The cats name is Chessie.
The story goes years ago on the C&O an american president {ill let you do some digging} walked along a passenger car and seen this kitten laying her head on a pillow sleeping as the train rolled along. The president made the statement of how smooth the train must be moving for this kitten to be sleeping the way it was.
Now this was definatly something the railroad could boast and advertise.
Here is a picture of one of there menu's before they became Chessie System, notice how Chessie kitten was in the works already for the emblem, look at the lower left.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=869609
[True Story}
Some years later C&O adopted the logo PURRRRR fect transportation.
Later this image of the kitten drawn for the president of the chessie cat became the railroad lines image.

 

[jbaakko]

Remember now, Chessie fits in fine with the Chesapeake & Ohio...

 

[CIOR]

The C&O built an entire ad campaign for the war and passenger travel around "Chessie". They also have her a husband who went off to war named "Peake".

When the C&O took control of the B&O and the WM, it stayed par for course, then finally when they decided to affiliate the lines, they came up with CHESSIE SYSTEM.... and then you get the logo. Honestly, this is one of the most unique locomotive paint jobs ever.
Todays CSX still bares the Chessie name inside of it... CHESSIE=SEABOARD

 

[DaytonPiquaRR]

Well if I ever get another cat, I will now know what to name it. That is an interesting story and good for an ice breaker to talk about railroads.

 

[GandyDancer]

I think it is one of the more interesting stories in railroading. Certainly the most intersting related to how a logo came about. Too bad it got lost in the next merger.