Trains – October 2019

Q

ALocomotives are railroads’

most visible advertisements.

Clean, freshly painted locomo-

tives tend to be better public-

relations ambassadors than

dirty locomotives.

Newly painted locomotives

featuring new designs or those

inspired by the past are also an

opportunity to celebrate an an-

niversary, as Norfolk Southern

did in 2012 for its 30th anniver-

sary with 20 heritage units. NJ

Transit is among the latest rail-

roads to offer the public heritage

equipment, with six coaches that

carry colors and lettering from

companies in the commuter

railroad’s past, including Conrail

and Pennsylvania Railroad.

Of course, if you look closely,

you’re likely to find a railroad

executive or board member who

is also a railfan working to sug-

gest to, convince, and cajole col-

leagues of the public-relations

value of heritage equipment.

Wick Moorman, retired NS

chairman, shares his company’s

story: “I had received some

number of requests to paint

some heritage units ever since I

became CEO, and my response

was that the F units were our

contribution to the cause. How-

ever, when I received the letter

with accompanying artwork

from Andy Fletcher about

painting locomotives for the

30th anniversary of NS, I

thought that it was a good idea

and took it to [Vice President-

Operations] Mark Manion, who

also thought that it would be a

good thing. It also worked well

from a timing standpoint in that

we were in the process of receiv-

ing new road locomotives from

both manufacturers and we

were going to have to paint

Why do railroads spend money

painting heritage units? — David Berg, Minneapolis

56 OCTOBER 2019

ASK TRAINS

Custom-painted heritage units
are rarities, but they pay for their
cost with public and employee
goodwill. Norfolk Southern’s
Norfolk & Western and Southern
Railway units pose nose-to-nose
during the heritage-unit event at
Spencer, N.C., in July 2012.
Two photos, TRAINS: Jim Wrinn

A Rovos Rail luxury passenger train stops at Plumtree, Zimbabwe, in July

2010 while passengers get immigration checks. Power is a 42-inch-

gauge Sheltam Corp. General Electric U30-EMP No. 3020. Alex Mayes