Major Program Announcement for North American Railroads!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NO-PAINT-SCHEME PROGRAM JUST ANNOUNCED

MARCH 30, 2016

OTTAWA, ON and WASHINGTON, DC 

North America's Class 1 railroads, in conjunction with the Railway Association of Canada, the Association of American Railroads and Transport Canada, have just joined in the signing of a landmark agreement which frees railroads operating in North America from a requirement to factory-paint or shop-repaint their equipment. According to program chair A.P Rilfuls at today's bi-national news conference, many recent developments led to the introduction of this ground-breaking program:

• capitalizing on recent improvements in wayside AEI tag readers and computer databases quickly read and transmit rolling stock data.
• abandoning archaic 19th-century railroad practices requiring display of rolling stock data on the sides of the car itself.
• reducing the sky-rocketing cost of applying paint and lettering to thousands of pieces of rolling stock.
• mitigating the environmental impact of large quantities of harmful paint and other petroleum-based chemicals exposed to the environment in all weather.
• resolving the continuing scourge of trackside graffiti vandals covering up rolling stock data.

VIA Rail has already released its first no-paint-scheme passenger car (above). The chairman explained,

"Let's face it - the general public no longer cares about trains. Except when they're stuck at a grade crossing waiting for one to go by. Railroad public relations efforts are minimal. Brand-recognition in the already-crowded visual brand universe is difficult to achieve. Today's trains operate in obscurity, no longer exposing their lively liveries to uncaring eyes; their long-lost visual legacies lost in the lingering glare of public indifference." Who really needs paint schemes, anyway?

The chairman then announced another exciting new program,

"The Canada Council for the Arts and the Smithsonian Institution will be participating in a new bi-national visual arts program, with the working title 'Tag This!' which will encourage trackside visual artists to fully express their artistic rights by creatively decorating these large, steel rolling canvasses." And besides, when is the last time you heard someone exclaim, "hey, it's a Monon boxcar!"

As part of a pilot project, various railroads' General Electric locomotives have been displaying no-paint-scheme appearance in the area of their turbochargers for some time now (above). The new regulation takes effect at noon April 1, 2016. The railroads - always searching for cost savings - have already begun applying the no-logo, no-paint-scheme as shown on this Canadian National freight train: 

****APRIL 1 UPDATE****

Since running this press release, there has been considerable online reaction through Facebook and Yahoo. Perhaps a firestorm. Well, maybe just a roaring bonfire. No, more like a smoldering roll of toilet paper burning itself out. Here's what I'm talking about:

Yahoo 

 If it's intended to be an April fool's joke, releasing it two days early is a bit of a faux pas.

Its so old a joke you could almost smell it in thru your computer screen.

The last one was over the CN-noodle.

Google is your friend. It'd take a 3 second search to realize that 8007 indeed has no noodle on the nose as is the same with many other CN units.

Yes, I have heard, that CN/CP are not returning some paint-n-logo stuff on their loco’s.

I find this Press Release  suspicious.The background is that of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.The person in the centre is that of Ms. Kathy Fox, Chair of The Transportation Safety Board of Canada. There is no Press Release posted on the Government of Canada  site.This action is outside of the T.S.B's  jurisdiction.

FB

This could almost be an actual news release.

Yea railways have not cared for a long time about their image 

Running extra...

VIA Rail has just outfitted two of its surplus baggage cars for unique onboard experiences. The first is a 'Northern Experience' car for use on its Winnipeg-Churchill trains. Passengers can access the car en route, imagining they are in a fur trading post. Costumed interpreters will add to the experience, dispensing complimentary soapstone carvings, whiskey and maple syrup.

The second converted baggage car will operate on the Canadian as 'Canadian Personal Coach on a Coach' or 'Train Transcontinentally on the Train' and features personal training, rock wall, cardio and cross-fit as you roll towards your destination. No more climbing the walls as your train waits.  Now train with weights AND climb the walls! VIA has announced their intention to similarly convert at least one Prestige Skyline car with these fitness features. By removing dome seating and using the greater height of the Skyline, passengers will be able to climb several feet higher.