What was this logo?
December 17, 2011 9:12 AM Subscribe
Logofilter: Trying to track down a logo on the side of a train I saw that reminded me of the Windows logo.
I live (well I recently moved, but used to live) real close to train tracks, and a couple times I saw a boxcar whizz by with a logo that grabbed my attention. It reminded me of the Windows logo, but (I think) not curvy and with (I think) lines coming out of it of some kind.
I say "I think" because I never got a good look at it. This set off a whole chain of Murphy's Law events where whenever I would stand and watch a train to try to see it again, it wouldn't appear, and if I wasn't paying attention to the train passing by I would see it in my peripheral vision and turn too late to really drink in the image.
Any railheads (is that word?) know what it might be? I know that a lot of boxcars have the logo of the cargo being stored - I saw a lot of Tropicana Orange Juice boxcars - but for some reason I think this is an actual transport company like CSX or Union Pacific. This was on the East Coast of the United States.
I live (well I recently moved, but used to live) real close to train tracks, and a couple times I saw a boxcar whizz by with a logo that grabbed my attention. It reminded me of the Windows logo, but (I think) not curvy and with (I think) lines coming out of it of some kind.
I say "I think" because I never got a good look at it. This set off a whole chain of Murphy's Law events where whenever I would stand and watch a train to try to see it again, it wouldn't appear, and if I wasn't paying attention to the train passing by I would see it in my peripheral vision and turn too late to really drink in the image.
Any railheads (is that word?) know what it might be? I know that a lot of boxcars have the logo of the cargo being stored - I saw a lot of Tropicana Orange Juice boxcars - but for some reason I think this is an actual transport company like CSX or Union Pacific. This was on the East Coast of the United States.
You might try browsing this archive of train photos, (sorted by location, (interactive map), type of car, etc). There's more interest in photographing locomotives, but they've got over 600,000 photos of rolling stock, so odds are that there's a photo of your logo on there somewhere. Can you be more specific about where you would see these cars?
If you remember anything about the color of the car or the logo, that might also help someone identify it--they tend to be consistent across a company's entire fleet. I'm not going know, but maybe someone else will come along who does.
posted by yuwtze at 9:51 AM on December 17, 2011
If you remember anything about the color of the car or the logo, that might also help someone identify it--they tend to be consistent across a company's entire fleet. I'm not going know, but maybe someone else will come along who does.
posted by yuwtze at 9:51 AM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Can you be more specific about where you would see these cars?
Wilmington, Delaware.
If you remember anything about the color of the car or the logo, that might also help someone identify it--they tend to be consistent across a company's entire fleet.
Ugh, I'm shaky enough on this that I'm almost afraid to say because I'm afraid that it might be one of those times where your hazy memory changes details. But, I wanna say it was dark red box cars with a yellow logo.
posted by mreleganza at 9:56 AM on December 17, 2011
Wilmington, Delaware.
If you remember anything about the color of the car or the logo, that might also help someone identify it--they tend to be consistent across a company's entire fleet.
Ugh, I'm shaky enough on this that I'm almost afraid to say because I'm afraid that it might be one of those times where your hazy memory changes details. But, I wanna say it was dark red box cars with a yellow logo.
posted by mreleganza at 9:56 AM on December 17, 2011
Being a pretty casual railfan, I'm not that great of an expert. The logo BNSF used for the first few years after the merger (late '90s) is vaguely similar, but that's all I can think of. Hopefully someone else will know.
There's also several forums frequented by people would probably know off the top of their head--I'll see if I can track those down and link them here.
posted by yuwtze at 10:19 AM on December 17, 2011
There's also several forums frequented by people would probably know off the top of their head--I'll see if I can track those down and link them here.
posted by yuwtze at 10:19 AM on December 17, 2011
Red cars with yellow logo, with the cross-shaped center of the Windows logo could be Santa Fe. It doesn’t match some of your other details, like the lines coming out of it, though.
posted by migurski at 10:20 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by migurski at 10:20 AM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Alas, it's not Santa Fe. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that the logo was not round. Also the ones I saw were larger and more centered on the boxcar. I don't *think* there was any wording inside the logo itself like Santa Fe
posted by mreleganza at 10:24 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by mreleganza at 10:24 AM on December 17, 2011
This SOO slant logo looks kinda similar. Also, there are apparently gobs of train videos on youtube. this is a thing?! Maybe you'd spot it on one of those if we can't come up with anything.
posted by jabes at 10:33 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by jabes at 10:33 AM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Alas that's not it either. Thanks for looking (and everyone else too)
posted by mreleganza at 10:55 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by mreleganza at 10:55 AM on December 17, 2011
I'm sure you'd get an answer much more quickly on a railfan forum. Seriously, this is the hobby that they call trainspotting in the UK and is the stereotypical nerd -- somebody out there has every US rolling stock logo memorized.
Other than that, here's a list of US short lines sorted by state. Maybe the Morristown & Erie?
Though you said East Coast, looking for radiant/sun type logos led me to this very Half-Life friendly Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad. Long shot, but it does have yellow against red livery.
posted by dhartung at 10:58 AM on December 17, 2011
Other than that, here's a list of US short lines sorted by state. Maybe the Morristown & Erie?
Though you said East Coast, looking for radiant/sun type logos led me to this very Half-Life friendly Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad. Long shot, but it does have yellow against red livery.
posted by dhartung at 10:58 AM on December 17, 2011
Maybe the AVG logo? Same colors as Windows but not curvy, and with lines coming out of it.
posted by iconomy at 11:17 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by iconomy at 11:17 AM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Nyet on the above. I'm waiting for the confirmation email to that railfan site so I can ask there, as dhartung suggested, if I can't get the answer here. If I get the answer there I will post it here.
posted by mreleganza at 11:52 AM on December 17, 2011
posted by mreleganza at 11:52 AM on December 17, 2011
The Wheat Board? Though they're Canadian, I've seen their cars across the US.
posted by scruss at 12:11 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by scruss at 12:11 PM on December 17, 2011
Response by poster: Wow, that's a cool logo, and sort of abstract like the one I saw. But...no.
posted by mreleganza at 12:16 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by mreleganza at 12:16 PM on December 17, 2011
Use Google Image Search and search on railroad logos. Shows lots of them in an easy format; you might get lucky.
posted by LonnieK at 3:21 PM on December 17, 2011
posted by LonnieK at 3:21 PM on December 17, 2011
Couldn't find any real boxcars with the Ralston Purina logo, but they did exist at one time. Just maybe?
Also, just to dismiss, perhaps you were seeing was an arrangement of hazardous materials placards?
Finally, are you certain what you saw was a boxcar, or could it have been a shipping container? That opens up literally a world of possibilities, among them the P&O logo.
posted by dhartung at 12:25 PM on December 18, 2011
Also, just to dismiss, perhaps you were seeing was an arrangement of hazardous materials placards?
Finally, are you certain what you saw was a boxcar, or could it have been a shipping container? That opens up literally a world of possibilities, among them the P&O logo.
posted by dhartung at 12:25 PM on December 18, 2011
Response by poster: Yes it could've been a shipping container. I don't know the difference.
It was not a hazmat placard though, it was painted on, writ large. I don't think it was a flag though.
Nary a response at railfan.net yet, the bastards!
posted by mreleganza at 2:25 PM on December 18, 2011
It was not a hazmat placard though, it was painted on, writ large. I don't think it was a flag though.
Nary a response at railfan.net yet, the bastards!
posted by mreleganza at 2:25 PM on December 18, 2011
Quad Graphics? It has that four-color thing going on like the Windows logo. They own their own railcars to transport the huge rolls of paper they print on. They have several locations along the east coast.
posted by JJtheJetPlane at 7:59 AM on December 19, 2011
posted by JJtheJetPlane at 7:59 AM on December 19, 2011
I'm sorry, I really thought you'd get some good responses there. I guess we really are the Internet Detective Squad over here.
posted by dhartung at 2:28 PM on December 20, 2011
posted by dhartung at 2:28 PM on December 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by gally99 at 9:19 AM on December 17, 2011