The mascots, symbols and so on of railroads in legendary characters for their advertisement that I've encountered thus far are the following: . Algoma Central Ry.: Black bear . Santa Fe: Chico, a small Indian boy . Boston & Maine: Minuteman . Canadian Pacific: Beaver, Canada's national symbol . Chesapeake & Ohio/Chessie System: Chessie the cat. Sleep like a kitten and arrive fresh as a daisy overnight on C&O's passenger train in an air-condition comfort. Created in 1933 by C&O's public relations official, L. C. Probert. Male counterpart: Peake . Lackawanna/Erie Lackawanna: Phoebe Snow, dressed in white, rides the road of anthracite . Detroit & Mackinac: Mackinac Mac . Great Northern: Rocky the mountain goat. Mountain goats often scene in mountains of Glacier National Park. Adopted in 1921 by Louis W. Hill, James J. Hill's son and Great Northern executive. . Long Island RR: Dashing commuter. Dashin' Dan created in the 1960's. Female counterpart: Dashin' Dottie . Norfolk & Western: Pocahontas, service of its overnight passenger train of this name commenced in 1926. . Norfolk Southern: Thoroughbred, represents speed and reliability of its freight service. David, the first Thoroughbred, introduced in 1982. . Quanah, Acme & Pacific: Chief Quanah Parker, a Comanche leader and shareholder of the QA&P Can anyone of you identify any other railroad mascots and what. including for these above, is the origin, background, and meaning?
Denver & Rio Grande Western, the Prospector. Not really a company-wide mascot, it was a herald on its crack train from Denver-Salt Lake City. Instituted and named by the Rio Grande's receiver at the time, Wilson McCarthy, it was a premium train to compete with UP's Pony Express. Started in November 1941 as a diesel mini-streamliner from Budd, the 2-car trains were ill-fated and underpowered for the 'Grande's grades and ended service nine short months later in 1942. Fast forward to October 1945, and a heavyweight and Pullman train and in 1947 with regularly-assigned fresh FT units, and matched black and ochre stripes. The train ran a variety of equipment at first, then settled on Pullman lightweight cars with fluted stainless (like the California Zephyr), and brilliant Aspen Gold and black stripes to set the train apart, starting in 1950. It was combined west of Grand Junction, CO with the Royal Gorge (trains 1 and 2) to save funds. It was rarely degraded and gave the best service it could muster until its demise on May 28, 1967. The prewar version of the train had a carving of a prospector and his burro as the iconic train's moniker, and the image was emblazoned all over the train from buttons as souvenirs to the diner's china. If there was ever a mascot on the Rio Grande, the Prospector was it!
The Sunset logo of the Southern Pacific began with the naming of the route on the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway in Texas. After the Civil war the name of the railroad was changed to the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway and the first graphic depiction was developed. This is a meal token given to track workers instead of money that is made of gutta percha. After the GH&SA came under control of the Southern Pacific, the logo was modified and adapted across the system.
Thanks to those who reply. Here's further information about the railroads' symbols and mascots: Canadian Pacific's beaver. The beaver symbol was created in the 1880's in honor of Donald Smith of the Hudson Bay Co. He had been in beaver further trade and a CPR financier; and, in 1885, participated in the last spike driving to complete the transcontinental line. Milwaukee Road Hiawatha. Known as the Route of the Hiawathas, the Milwaukee Road first inaugurated Hiawatha passenger trains in May 1935, from Chicago via Milwaukee and the west, the most noticeably, the Olympian Hiawatha, to Seattle and Tacoma. They consisted superdome and observation cars, and streamlined steam locomotives powered the trains until 1941 when diesels were brought to the railroad. These trains were named for Hiawatha, a co-founder of the Iroquois and leader of the Onondaga in the 12th century, as "swift of foot" as specified in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Song of Hiawatha. DL&W/EL Phoebe Snow. Known as the Route of Phoebe Snow, the Lackawanna commenced its train, the Phoebe Snow, in Nov. 1949 between Hoboken NJ and Buffalo NY, and on Erie Lackawanna, to Chicago. It was an overnight with sleeper and lounge cars. Long Island RR dashing commuter: Known as the Route of the Dashing Commuter. There're Dashin' Dan and Dashin' Dottie. Missouri Pacific Eagle. The symbol was adopted in 1939 for the railroad as swift, graceful and powerful, a symbol of American progress. In 1946 the MP began inaugurating Eagle passenger trains from St. Louis to Denver, El Paso, San Antonio, and Galveston. N&W Pocahontas. Service began on N&W's passenger train, the Pocahontas, in 1926 between Norfolk and Cincinnati overnight. Norfolk Southern Corp. Thoroughbred. In 1982 NS Corp's freight service began as the Thoroughbred. In an advertisement, "From the Championship Heritage of Two Great Railways Come the Norfolk Southern Corporation", by merger, the N&W and Southern Ry. brought superior service, lower distribution cost, and shorter transit time to shippers. From another source with additional note: Jersey Central Lines Lady Liberty. The symbol was adopted in 1944. The Statue of Liberty was visible from its Jersey City terminal, which was at the Liberty State Park. More mascots for railroads I've encountered: KCS Southern Belle. Known as the Route of the Southern Belle, the KCS inaugurated the Southern Belle passenger train in Sept. 1940, overnight between Kansas City and New Orleans. Oregon Pacific & Eastern and Yreka Western goose: This was an idea from Willis Kyle of Kyle Railways. The Yreka Western is know as the Route of the Blue Goose. Ontario Northland polar bear: The ONR commenced its Polar Bear Express in 1964 between Cochrane and Moosonee, Ontario. Berlin Mills Ry. Bird or flyer McCloud River RR bear and Mt. Shasta Brillion & Forest Junction crewman standing on a flatcar carrying an oilcan in one hand, lantern in the other Colorado Midland Ry. Indian, seen on pamphlets and timetables Also seen: A pig on IC/ICG piggyback trailer (freight); and falcon, C&NW Falcon Service (trailer, freight) Beside the mascots and symbols attached in this post, I’ll attached more of them in my next post of this thread. Furthermore, can anyone of you provide any more information about the mascots and symbols mentioned in this post and in my beginning post about their origin, background, and significance? I’d especially like to know more about AC&HB black bear, B&M minuteman, D&M Mackinac, LIRR dashing commuter, CNJ Lady Liberty, O&W Owen W., and NYS&W Susie-Q.
The Lady Liberty logo first appeared just after the close of WW-II, about 1946. It was a perfect fit for the road, signifying our nation's (allied) victory in a war against global tyranny and with the Statue of Liberty standing in view of the CNJ's Jersey City Terminal on the Hudson River.
The Chessie kitten was created to emphasize smooth riding and easy sleeping in their Pullman cars. Phoebe Snow was an attempt to turn the use of low-soot anthracite coal in steam locomotives into a selling point for summer travel, when windows were open. And Chico fit right in with the Santa Fe's longstanding policy of cooperating with those southwestern Indian nations which wanted to cater to tourists.
Attached are other images of railroad mascots and symbols. From top are as follows: Canadian Pacific beaver Great Northern mountain goat Long Island dashing commuter Missouri Pacific eagle Norfolk & Western Pocahontas Norfolk Southern thoroughbred Quanah Route Quanah Parker Kansas City Southern Southern Belle NYS&W Susie-Q Ontario Northern polar bear McCloud River bear and Mt. Shasta Oregon Pacific & Eastern goose (also for Yreka Western) Berlin Mills Ry. flyer Colorado Midland Indian I copied these images onto .docx file. These individual images cannot be uploaded to this forum board. These image files came from another computer and might be blocked. Enjoy. Blessings, Denny
I believe that the goose image in OP&E's and YWRR's emblem was Willis Kyle's creation. It's also been said that the Yreka was known as the Route of the Blue Goose starting in 1953. Could it be that many geese have been seen along the OP&E and YWRR lines? Whoever see this post segment may please comment on this.
I've always been a fan of the Great Northern goat both the character and the logo in it's many versions. The goat represents the GN route near Glacier National park in north western Montana where bearded mountain goats are commonly seen.
