by Olev Taremae/photos by the author except as noted
In the modern diesel era, American railroads have repainted locomotives and rolling stock in unique ways to promote themselves, publicize events, raise awareness, and promote actions supporting specific issues. For example, the slogan “Keep It Moving With Conrail” emblazoned on the side of Conrail U23B 1980 was intended to catch the attention of passersby and promote shipping on the quasi-government-owned railroad. Wisconsin & Southern is among the many railroads that have called attention to their longevity by painting locomotives trumpeting the anniversary of the road’s start-up.
Several railroads have promoted sports events with specially painted locomotives. Southern Pacific SD40R 7347 was repainted for the 1984 Summer Olympics, while Conrail repainted SD40-2 6373 for the 1992 Olympics bicycle trials. Union Pacific repainted SD40-2s 1896 and 1996 for the torch relay before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and also repainted SD70MACs 2001 and 2002 for the torch relay before the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
ABOVE: Stars and stripes are dominant on Pennsylvania & Southern SW7 17, resting near the enginehouse between assignments on August 30, 2017. The railroad serves the Letterkenny Army Depot near Chambersburg, Pa. The design and frame lettering honor service members who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan in 2011, operating under the code sign “Extortion 17.”
Locomotives painted to promote awareness of causes include GP38-2s 425 and 436, which Florida East Coast Railway use to focus attention on breast cancer. Conrail’s SD40 6300 promoting buying and holding U.S. Savings Bonds was an example of a message with a specific call to action.
The Bicentennial Started It All
Starting with the painting of Seaboard Coast Line U36B 1776 in 1971, celebrating the Bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence became the largest-ever subject of repainted and otherwise redecorated locomotives. More than 300 locomotives celebrated the Bicentennial, most in elaborate and inventive one-of-a-kind paint schemes; combinations of red, white, and blue were created coast to coast. Other than the theme of honoring veterans and supporting the military, no single subject other than the Bicentennial has resulted in the repainting or decorating of more locomotives.
ABOVE: Paducah & Louisville GP40-2 2129 provides a good example of how a railroad can decorate a locomotive to honor veterans within the context of its standard paint scheme. The message Salute to our Veterans, an American flag, and a yellow ribbon adorn the hood of the locomotive, still clad in the railroad’s green and white paint scheme. The 2129 is sitting in Paducah, Ky., on August 17, 2024. —Paul Wester photo, Author’s Collection
The decoration of locomotives to honor veterans and support our troops has reflected changes in the nation’s overall attitude toward the military and current military campaigns. The notion of honoring veterans and supporting the military was slow to build in the post-World War II era. In the early 1950s, celebrations in the U.S. at the conclusion of the Korean War were muted at best, as that war had ended in a stalemate. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam War was controversial among the public at large and split opinion about both the military and those who served in it. Returning veterans were honored at times; at other times, they were treated with indifference or, in some extreme cases, hostility. Railroad equipment was not repainted honoring veterans or with military support themes in this era.
The celebration of the Bicentennial around 1976 reflected an increasingly positive American self-image and an increase in the public display of patriotism. This set the stage for the veterans- and military-support painted locomotives.
ABOVE: The fanciful graphics enabled by vinyl wrap technology are exemplified on Savage Services GP7u 8613, shifting a tank car in Cedar City, Utah, on August 30, 2024. —Matt Griffin photo, Author’s Collection
Honoring Our Troops
Union Pacific broke ground in honoring veterans and supporting U.S. troops on February 27, 1991, unveiling repainted ex-Missouri Pacific 6053, then UP 3953. The SD40-2 was dubbed “Desert Victory” in connection with the first Gulf War and wore a camouflage paint scheme. Mounted on the side were the names and hometowns of 66 Union Pacific employees who had been called to serve. Burlington Northern soon followed by painting SD60m 1991 in a red, white, and blue paint scheme and bearing a logo “Pulling for Freedom – Supporting Our Troops.” These graphics supported troops engaged in Operation Desert Storm. Conrail followed in 1992 with SD50 6707 wearing a yellow ribbon during the era of campaigns in Kuwait and Iraq as part of Desert Storm.
Since these three locomotives were introduced, a total of 56 additional locomotives from 34 additional railroads and/or industries have been painted, wrapped, or otherwise decorated with graphics to honor veterans and/or support the troops. These efforts have served multiple purposes for the railroads; first, and most basic, the messages are intended to promote the causes of honoring veterans and supporting the military because of the positive and patriotic nature of the stated message. Providing such a message creates goodwill by connecting the railroad with a popular public outlook, a message that reflects the outlook of railroad management and ownership. Second, some railroads have used these messages to specifically pay tribute to their current and past employees who have served in the military. Some of these messages apply generally to military veteran employees while others are specifically targeted to individuals. Lastly, several railroads have used these messages as a recruiting tool for attracting new employees. The messages have emphasized the positive attributes of employees with a military background and the transferability of skills honed in the military that have particular applicability in the railroad industry…