Algoma Central RR paint scheme

Always have wondered why this road chose the colors and the near exact paint scheme of the Lackawanna/Erie-Lackawanna.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-a/ac153ads.jpg

While they were Canadian, wasn't this kinda odd ? Would think an RR would want it's own unique public identity.

Any guesses/comments ?

I always thought that was cool!
they were using the DL&W/EL *passenger* scheme on hood units! (which the real DL&W/EL never did..)

obviously someone at the AC was just a big fan of the EL scheme!
and they deceided to adopt it..

the oldest pics I can find of AC units wearing that scheme are 1978:
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=42273
so thats probably about the time they adopted the scheme.

opps..hold on..
here is a pic from 1972:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-a/ac153ads.jpg

1974:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-a/ac158ads.jpg

so they adopted it while the real EL still existed!
I like it!
interesting adaptation of a historic scheme.

http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib003/AC203.GIF


but check this out..they *didnt* use the scheme on their passenger F-units!
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=97697
perhaps that would have been TOOmuch like the EL??

Algoma Central was taken over by Wisconsin Central in 1995,
then WC was absorbed into CP..

Scot

scottychaos wrote:I always thought that was cool!
they were using the DL&W/EL *passenger* scheme on hood units! (which the real DL&W/EL never did..)

The DL&W Trainmasters had the passenger scheme.



EL repainted some TMs to the black/yellow scheme. When the EL repainted them to the gray/maroon scheme, it was slightly different from the DL&W passenger scheme. The entire faces were painted yellow. This pic below is the same unit as above - note the differences.

(edit - I found a pic but the website won't allow remote linking of pics. It won't even let you embed the URL. I found the pic using EL trainmaster in google pics.)

calorosome wrote: (edit - I found a pic but the website won't allow remote linking of pics. It won't even let you embed the URL. I found the pic using EL trainmaster in google pics.)

huh..well its a good thing I happen to have that photo in my collection!



Scot

scottychaos wrote: huh..well its a good thing I happen to have that photo in my collection!

Aren't you a lifesaver

Neither RR created the scheme. It was a builder-created scheme. There have been paintings in some of the RR mags over the years (Railfan comes to mind first) where you can see the builder's design (especially Alco and EMD). You can also see examples where other railroads considered the same thing too and where railroads swapped paint schemes.

Many, many shortlines ended up with duplicate schemes, just a change in paint but same striping, etc. Look through X2200 South at GE switcher builder's photos and you'll see duplicate after duplicate.

Charles

Another example of builder paint scheme with small variations - compare original Morristown & Erie to original Bath & Hammondsport - it was an ALCO designed scheme with little changes.

Rahway Valley's GE 70 tonners were in a GE scheme - one which appear (and continues to) on many of the 79 tonners sold.

What is unusual is that the Algoma Central adopted it so long after it had become strongly associated with Lackawanna/EL - that's where the 'someone at AC liked EL' probably comes in.

Well, this is a parallel to the QNS&L's use of the "NYO&W" scheme on its GMD GP7s/9s. A similar recycling of a well-known scheme designed by EMD, made famous on an eastern US road, then applied later to a Canadian road's power.