The locomotive’s CSX lettering had been overwritten with PRLX’s reporting marks only to have those efforts re-patched with C&O logos. On the locomotive’s nose, a blue “C&O for Progress” logo was visible as the locomotive led two NS units on train NS 36T near Buffalo.
It is not clear who is responsible for the logo work or whether or not the locomotive’s C&O logos will remain on the leased locomotive. No. 4834 is one of five ex-CSX SD70ACes on lease to Norfolk Southern.
“CSX takes the use of trademarks, logos, and service marks very seriously and has outlined our position on our website,” spokeswoman Katie Chimelewski tells Trains News Wire. “Proper use of the marks reinforces their distinctive identity and value, while unauthorized use and variation of the marks dilutes and undermines their marketing strength, the owner’s trademark rights, and the economic value of the intellectual property asset.”
The railroad states that no CSX marks are to be used by third parties without express permission of the company that owns the mark.
Trains News Wire is awaiting comment from Progress Rail.
If CSX was smart, they’d do what UP and NS have done, and paint a series of heritage locomotives. Especially for NS, which was smart enough to make a big event out of its unveiling at Spencer, NC, the press it generated was unprecedented for any railroad in the last 40 years. For customers, it denotes a sense of history, of pride, and continuity. It says to the people running those companies, “we’re still here, guys. It’s still us underneath that new corporate logo.”
The post 9/11era has caused railroad corporations to retreat further into their shell, trying to cut off all contact with the public. They treat their property as if they’re harboring federal secrets and security risks. They don’t seem to realize that their shippers are among “the public.” If their goal is to become a conveyor belt for coal, automobiles and shipping containers, maybe that approach won’t matter much, but if they want to be railroads — vast networks of locally produced freight traffic to and from every point in the country, then they’d better invite the public back in. NS proved that to be a whopping success. You can’t buy that kind of publicity.
Hey, while they’re at it, someone please do one up with the old Pere Marquette scheme. Folks here in Michigan would love it!
Unfortunately, this is increasingly looking like the work of taggers while the unit hung around the Buffalo / southern Ontario region for about 3 days.
If you google for images of PRLX 4834, there is an overhead bridge shot (on RP dot Net) of this unit coupled to a CIT ex-BN triclops unit in Lackawanna NY with the Progress patches intact as of 5 days ago. There is also another image from ground level (on Instagram) dated 4 days ago of it coupled to the same triclops unit but the nose now has the C&O logo while the long hood still has the PRLX patches. When they tagged the long hood on another day, they also relocated the reporting marks to a spot below the lightning bolt on the cab, and this would have required a ladder of some type to reach those spots.
It would appear that after UP 2519, anything is possible.
Mr. Warfel: Of course you don’t care what things look like because you are the user. But if you are a new customer looking for a transportation provider you will be swayed by the outfit which looks more prosperous. That’s basic marketing 101 which is apparently missed here.
Let’s see, in one week Trains magazine has gone from praising a graffiti vandals work on a Hopper car (and doing nothing about it) to acting like a school house tattle-tale on a faux heritage unit.
If a magazine could derail, I believe it would be time to call Hulcher or Corman to Milwaukee.
Taggers with a sense of railroad history? I suppose anything’s possible.
Note to Jim Wrinn; please spend a few bucks and make it possible to edit comments you accidentally post before you wanted to post them. Other websites have this technology and it would be nice if TRAINS could drag themselves into the 21st century.
At the risk of being at least a bit redundant; to Steven Bauer’s point; as a chemical shipper what interests me most while on the job is safe and reliable rail service at a competitive cost. As someone who also has a recreational interest in railroads and railroad history; heritage paint schemes and steam programs are nice but; they do nothing to move freight.
I suspect the vast majority of rail shippers could care less about Class 1 steam and heritage locomotive programs.
American freight railroads are the envy of the world.0
To Steven Bauer’s point; as a chemical shipper I could care less about paint schemes and steam programs. What interests me most on the job is reliable rail s
Mr. Norton: You may be one of the many industry “insiders” on here, I have no idea. Meanwhile, I am just a guy who sees the day to day operations of a railroad through the windshield of a locomotive so I am sure my views mean squat in here. I have no doubt that good PR and image are important tools of any business, but in the end I would suspect that the reason that the R&N (using your example) is so successful is because of their service and business model, of which PR and public image may be a PART OF but not the sole reason for their success. If I were a shipper, those would be my yardsticks. Fancy paint and steam engines, though they may be nice to have, don’t pay the bills in the end.
Austin Larson,
Make it legal and then sign me in.
It’s a shame that Chase and Trains brought all of this negative attention from CSX as it will likely result in the loss of this C&O themed ACe as well as hinder opportunities for future special schemes. Like other subscribers noted I can’t imagine that CSX would’ve noticed this engine was on the rails without rail fans prying them about it. I wish we could’ve all just enjoyed this one…
Hope to see B&O, WM, L&N, RF&P, and other railroads on future leased locomotives.
I would think that CSX would have a hard time proving that this particular use reduced “the economic value of the intellectual property asset.” One would hope they have bigger fish to fry.
Pan Am has respected the CSX logos on many of the C40s and B40s that it acquired about a year ago by crossing out the CSX letters with an unattractive stripe of gray paint. Is that more acceptable to CSX than a rogue but reasonably well applied C&O logo showing up on a former CSX engine?
OK, maybe the C&O markings could have been better applied, but I think CSX should take a deep breath and chill out for a while. They’re not getting hurt by someone using an obsolete logo from a long-gone predecessor ‘road.
Or just request a token fee, if that makes them happy. Sheesh!
Sometimes I think the biggest problem with the American railroad industry is those running it have no sense of fun with what they’re doing or what they have.
Mr. Bauer: I assure you that these average rail customers notice that the trucking industry looks a hell of a lot better than the railroad industry. The most successful regional railroad is the Reading and Northern.which attempts to impress shippers and the public with image and good public relations. Don’t knock it…..It appears to be paying off.
The logos were rather crudely applied. The ampersand is a disaster.
I am pretty sure, given the service issues in the industry right now, the average rail customer is not overly concerned about a rogue retro logo on a unit and how it might impact any perceived “economic value”, just as I would hazard a guess and say those same customers probably don’t judge a railroad on how many fancy paint jobs they have or steam engines they have.
We can only wish C&O was back ……This is close enough
Message to Austin Larson:
Your proposal supporting commissioning grafitos appears to promote criminal trespass and vandalism. Bad…no, terrible idea. Railroads, large and small, are vigorously prosecuting trespassers. Encouraging additional lawlessness is not helpful to the law-abiding railfan corps.
This is just way too cool. I just wish we could see it plying C&O’s home rails. Long live “George Washington’s Railroad”.
C&O 4834 is in better hands now and worth the catch…while you can.
Wow, some did a better effort acknowledging CSX heritage than CSX did itself with their short lived sticker program. Maybe it’s jealousy.
Here’s a subversive proposal: organize an underground fundraiser to commision grafitos to cover old and rusty rolling stock with rust-proof paints in fallen-flags schemes.