Western Railroad Discussion > When To Paint

When To Paint. I think we all can safely say that the reintroduction of the Red Warbonnet paint scheme to locomotives was a good thing. That iconic red, silver and yellow paint job is probably the most recognizable in the World. But at some point, what was once flashy becomes not-so-flashy.

On June 21, 1991 No. 520 was barely a year old as it splits the signals just east of Claus, in Modesto CA. (© KPR Media Services, all rights reserved)

Fast forward to April 23, 2015 and now BNSF No. 528, also constructed in 1990, now wears a Pink Warbonnet scheme, its Santa Fe markings and number so badly faded one can barely make it them out. As much as I love the Red Warbonnet scheme, at some point, a new paint job is what's called for. Hopefully, this unit, caught at Riverbank Yard in California, performs better than it looks. :-) (© KPR Media Services, all rights reserved)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/15 12:02 by CrudPunko.

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I'm sure some would say it should be illegal to let a Warbonnet look so terrible, ratty, and just plain worn out. I'm curious from an accounting standpoint, would repaints fall in the same bucket of capital expenditures like new track? I'm guessing no, but would all of the money BNSF spent on track on the northern lines be part of the reason they aren't rushing to paint the fleet?

I know, I know, ugly engines pull just as well as freshly painted ones. But take some pride in your appearance!

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Funny that the older blue and yellow unit with it still looks pretty good.

It has been suggested to me that the poor paint job reflects that the unit is too valuable to pull for painting, meaning it  is mechanically sound and needed for assignments. Sounds logical but ... who knows. I know BNSF has fewer 4-axle units these days than 5 years ago and they prefer such units to work locals (which is what the power set pictured is doing)