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Greetings,
I posed the war bonnet question/comments for a couple of reasons and
even ventured my own guess why the scheme works the way it does. I've
got some other ideas that might have helped make the scheme work. Yes
the credit goes to GM design staff but there's more to it than the
scheme itself.
I think the route it served and the geographic service area helped
make it almost as much as the design. The war bonnet was a reflection
of the Native Americans who lived in the SW USA. So it helped put the
railroad in the right context. Gold pin striping (ala Pennsy GG and F
and E units looks in place on the east cost (circa 1930-50's). Had the
war bonnet surfaced first on the New Haven, Pennsy or NYC it would've
looked about as out of place as a Bowlow tie with a piece turquoise.
Only after becoming an American icon would it seem to fit the eastern
USA.
In from the 1940's to today the Southwest was the migration magnet
to America and the AT&SF served that route thus helping make itit
identifiaible with the public. Hell it parallels US Route 66 and its
hard not to think of one with out the other for some of us (right
Keith?).
To help make this point do you think that scheme would been as
accepted the way it was if it had slapped on to the L&N or Soo Line
engine and spent it's prime years in service within a small geographic
territory. Perhaps, but the odds would've been tough.
The AT&SF route allowed it to be shown off from Chicago to LA on a lot
of engines and in fast service.
Southwest Climate: Sunny dry days allowed the 1940-70 rail fan to
catch it on relatively slow film and less sophisticated camera bodies.
Do you think it could got the same number of shots had it run in the
foggy Pacific Northwest. Charlie's Pumpkin in the fog shot would not
have been technically feasible back at the beginning of the war bonnet
scheme.
Political Correctness: Despite the great scheme I doubt if we would
have ever seen it on a train had it not been thought of, or
conceptualize today. First off the whole Indian theme would've upset
too many sensitive folks in the 90's. Hell look at all the sports teams
who are being pressure to rename themselves something more politically
correct. If the Indian theme would been accepted by the corporate
lawyers, they still had stumbled using a "War Bonnet" because of the
violent overtones and "stereotypical" connotations of violent warriors.
Also the war bonnet insinuates a male dominated role within the tribe
which would certainly raised the ire of a few democratic women in U.S.
Congress and the Senate.
Popular culture also helped out with the scheme because cowboy and
indians were hot stuff in the movie industry. Had Mel Brooks released
his movie Blazing Saddles before the scheme came into being the indian
theme wouldn't have happened. Just think if the TV and Movie industry
were to have help spawn a design today, much like it did with the war
bonnet we'd have MTV and Baywatch induced curves on the front of engines
(hey may that not such a bad idea after all). :^)
As for me the AT&SF is my second most favorite scheme. The first
place goes to the CNW's yellow and green. Despite everything the war
bonnet has going for it that red and silver doesn't say Green Bay
Packers the way the old CNW did.
Have a good one,
Greg Anderson
St. Louis
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