Pan Am Railways Paint Scheme (boxcars, etc.)

[NellsChoo]

Maybe whatever this Pan Am situation is, it will bring in more traffic? More revenue? Or is it suicide?

And yes, I bet they ARE laughing at all of us!

[SLR 393]

More boxcars are supposedly coming, some of the B&M 3300 series cars are supposed to get this paint. Modelers can now do them in HO or N, http://www.mgdecals.com/homepage.htm thanks to Highball.

[NellsChoo]

I just read the Highball decal site. 250 cars?? Out of how many Big G cars?? I love seeing the newly painted Guilford cars. Now we have to see an airline? I dunno... tastes sour to me

I know I don't like change, but I want to see railroad names on railroad equipment...

(insert big pout here)

[mick]

The combined MEC/B&M boxcar fleet

[NellsChoo]

A co-worker said this subject was on the local TV news. I don't know how well he was paying attention, but he says they didn't have anything new to say, other than what we have discussed here. But WHY would this be on the TV? Interesting... Did anyone else catch this on the tube?

[NellsChoo]

For those who didn't see it, www.trains.com has an article on this. Here is the content:
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Pan Am World Airways logo riding the rails

WATERVILLE, Maine – The once-familiar logo of Pan American World Airways is now riding the rails on Guilford Rail System freight cars, according to an Associated Press story in the Maine Sentinel and published on the Mainetoday.com Web site. Based in North Billerica, Mass., Guilford has owned the Pan Am name, colors, and logo since 1998. Pan Am President David A. Fink, who also serves as executive vice president of Guilford Rail System’s parent, Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI), declined to comment on the boxcar project.

Industry insiders told the Morning Sentinel the project appears to be an attempt to rehabilitate the rail company’s image. About 250 cars, some Boston & Maine and some Maine Central, began showing up with the Pan Am logo in March. Guilford acquired the Maine Central in 1981 and the Boston & Maine in 1983.

The original Pan Am World Airways began flying in 1927 and grew into one of the world’s largest airlines before shutting down in 1991. The discount carrier of that name which followed never turned a profit. It served 14 cities in Florida, the Northeast, Midwest, and Puerto Rico before falling into bankruptcy. Guilford bought the airline’s name, jets, parts\, and flight certificates and began passenger service out of Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth, N.H.

But Guilford has faced problems on the ground, including fines for environmental violations in Massachusetts, union lawsuits in New Hampshire, and overdue taxes in Waterville. The boxcar project was confirmed by a pilots´ union involved in a lawsuit with the railroad company over its recent alleged union-busting moves.

"Its boxcars are being painted in Pan Am colors despite the fact that Pan Am is not in operation right now," said John Perkinson, a spokesman for the Airline Pilots Association International. Guilford stopped Pan Am flights on October 31, 2004, after the union sued the company for transferring flights from unionized Pan Am to its non-unionized subsidiary, Boston-Maine Airways. A federal appeals court ruled in Guilford´s favor in February.

[MEC407]

But WHY would this be on the TV?

Probably it was a slow news day, they saw it come in over the AP news feed and decided to re-hash it.

[Otto Vondrak]

Looks like at least one boxcar was painted as early as 1998?? Read this story:

In preparation for the open house, Pan Am and Guilford brought a newly painted rail engine and boxcar to Portsmouth illustrating the joint ownership of the two companies. The engine is painted with the Guilford insignia, while the boxcar, painted yesterday, is emblazoned with the white and blue Pan Am logo.

"It's just something for our opening day ceremonies," Fink said.

News of the new Pan Am-Guilford boxcar brought one railroad enthusiast to Portsmouth all the way from Portland just to take photos.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/1998news/12_17b.htm

-otto-

[steve coraggio]

Hello All;
I am a fairly new member to this railroad forum. last night thursday may 26, 2005 in the general discussions forum I posted a note about one of these cars which I saw in a railyard near my house. I live in New Jersey, the central part of the state. The two previous weekends there was a a boxcar black on the bottom and Blue on top 3/4 and said Pan Am Railways, with the globe symbol, it also bore MEC reporting marks and nymber 31932. Are these cars brand new or older cars that hve been refurbished, the paint in # 31932 looked fairly new . A different but intersting car to see, I also took a 35mm picture of that car.
the title of my posting was interesting car in Brown's Yard, which now part of CSAO , shared by Norfolk Southern and CSX . The yarsd is located in Central New Jersey I can be reached thru this forum.

[gokeefe]

Recent photos of MEC 516 and 517 have lead me to the conclusion that they have been repainted in the 'old' GRS colors at least once recently, probably in the last two years, since the 'Pan Am' brand etc. has been adopted.

It really makes me wonder what the 'real' corporate identity of the company is.

Note the gloss on the upper edges of 516's plow:
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20090 ... 826278.jpg

Note the shine and gloss on 517, body, especially engine compartment doors and plow. Also note how faded the other two units behind 516/517 look. If all of these locomotives were painted in roughly the same ten year period starting after the takeover in the early 1980's then the front two units should be about equally faded. Wax could 'shine it up' but not change the color tone:
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20080 ... 913143.jpg

[MEC407]

Recent photos of MEC 516 and 517 have lead me to the conclusion that they have been repainted in the 'old' GRS colors at least once recently, probably in the last two years, since the 'Pan Am' brand etc. has been adopted.

It really makes me wonder what the 'real' corporate identity of the company is.

The name change took place in March of '06; the units might have been repainted shortly before that.

I will say, though, that a good coat of wax can make the paint look richer/darker than it does without wax. I've noticed this when I've had my truck waxed.

[Dick H]

Reportedly, when the 516 and the 517 are being scheduled for Office Car Special (OCS) duty, they get a cleanup and polish job a few days prior to the OCS move. Supposedly, the inside of the cabs get the cleanup treatment also and some fitted carpet is put down. Frankly, I think the 516, 517 and the two office cars really make a sharp looking trainset and look better than any PanAm blue paint scheme would look.

Dick

[newpylong]

You guys are correct. The 516 and 517 are washed, waxed, and polished prior to being used on the OCS. No new paint.

if I remember correctly the cab floors were carpet too, but I could be wrong there. I don't remember being on either of those two units.

[atsf sp]

I like the Big G and the balck and orange with it. The Pan Am dark/light Blue just looks out of place. I saw one in a train with all G engines other then the one dark blue Pan Am and it just didn't fit. It didn't fit with the rails either. Guilford is the railroad in my mind.

[Mikejf]

The 500 series is newer to Guilford than most of the other units. If I recall correctly, they were painted prior to delivery. But of course even washing the locos makes quite a difference.
Mike