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'Kodachrome' paint schemes became faded dreams
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Anticipating government approval of a merger, Southern Pacific and Santa Fe in the mid 1980s began painting diesel locomotives in a common paint scheme. The markings used the classic Santa Fe "warbonnet" shape on the front of the diesels in yellow, with red aft of this and black along the roofline. Looking ahead to merging their road initials to become SPSF, each railroad painted only their own letters -- SP or SF -- while leaving space to apply the other letters after the merger.
But approval of the merger was denied in July 1986. Santa Fe was proactive in repainting its engines back to Santa Fe standard, but some Southern Pacific merger versions lingered well into the 1990s.
It is said the bright yellow and red colors reminded railfan photographers of the boxes that held their film of choice, Kodachrome, and that is how a nickname was born. Other wags said SPSF stood for "Shouldn't Paint So Fast".
But approval of the merger was denied in July 1986. Santa Fe was proactive in repainting its engines back to Santa Fe standard, but some Southern Pacific merger versions lingered well into the 1990s.
It is said the bright yellow and red colors reminded railfan photographers of the boxes that held their film of choice, Kodachrome, and that is how a nickname was born. Other wags said SPSF stood for "Shouldn't Paint So Fast".
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