[RITSlist] Fw: Rock blue paint

Tue Feb 26 17:56:56 CST 2008

Patrick,

            Do you have any photos of the black & red scheme that you'd
like to share?  I'm always interested in seeing them (especially if they
were taken in KS or KC).

Regards,

-Jeff

________________________________

From: ritslist-bounces at thunder.simpson.edu
[mailto:ritslist-bounces at thunder.simpson.edu] On Behalf Of Carrie and
Patrick Lenahan
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:16 PM
To: 'RITSLIST'
Subject: Re: [RITSlist] Fw: Rock blue paint

Okay, so I haven't checked my email for the past week and missed this
whole exchange, but I have a couple of thoughts to add.

Bankrupt blue (bled white) = THE ROCK.  (In barely legible typeface,
another one of those design disasters of the '70's).  

Maroon and red and silver and yellow = The Rock Island Railroad.

I remember my Dad being at least academically interested in the blue
scheme when it was first introduced - enough to go take a couple of
pictures of the first loco painted in the scheme - but in the end he
always preferred the red and maroon colors...and really, the black and
red colors of the '40's and '50's.  I remember him using the
aforementioned "bankrupt blue bled white" reference many times.  I also
remember him telling a story that the blue scheme came about becuase Mr.
Ingram's wife saw the colors on somebody's tie one night and liked it.
I have no idea if it's true.

Dad spent 14 years with the Rock Island, and HIS dad spent around 40
years with them.  My copy of "Iron Road To Empire" includes my Dad's
handwritten epitaph for the railroad penned in at the end, briefly
noting the railroad's "zombie existence" as THE ROCK and its inglorious
end.  The technical fact that THE ROCK came into being just prior to
formal declaration of bankruptcy can't erase the new identity's
association with the failure and shutdown.  Consider that the railroad
had lost money for about 9 years before the bankruptcy.  Mr. Ingram has
been quoted as saying that the new identity was explicitly a rejection
of the old way of doing things, and it's most likely because it didn't
work out in the end that the image has such a bad taste for most.  Of
course, if it had succeeded, no doubt at some point the 'heritage
scheme' would have been adopted....just prior to being absorbed by the
UP.

I personally thought (and still think) the scheme, when applied fresh,
was crisp and bold, notwithstanding its horrible typeface - but totally
impersonal.  And the blue did not hold up well, fading horribly and
showing every bit of dirt - you could always tell the engines that had
been to Oklahoma by the red earth stain.  My personal preference is for
the black and red, with the maroon and yellow a close second.

I remember also the quote that appeared in the Trains Magazine "Sic
Transit Gloria" issue:  "The Rock is an insurance company.  THIS is the
Rock Island Railroad!"

Regards,

Patrick Lenahan

Prairie Village, KS

________________________________

From: ritslist-bounces at thunder.simpson.edu
[mailto:ritslist-bounces at thunder.simpson.edu] On Behalf Of David Engle
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 7:14 PM
To: RITSLIST
Subject: [RITSlist] Fw: Rock blue paint

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Kent Schneider <mailto:trainut at iowatelecom.net>  

To: RIRocket at kc.rr.com 

Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:13 PM

Subject: Rock blue paint

Dave,

I have a question that should be posted on RITSlist.  Why do RI fans
call the 'RI blue' used towards the end of operations 'Bankruptcy Blue?'
The Rock Island first announced the new paint scheme on February 12,
1975, and the Rock Island didn't file for bankruptcy for just over a
month later.  This paint scheme just happened to be the standard used at
the time.  If it hadn't been put in use, I wonder if we'd be hearing all
this 'Bankruptcy Red' complaints.

Kent Schneider

________________________________

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