SPSF Merger History

This is a shortened version of the history found on wikipedia’s site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_Santa_Fe_Railroad

On December 23, 1983, the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe announced their merger plans to become one railroad, The Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad. In 1985, thinking that the merger would be approved, both railroads started painting their locomotives in a new company paint scheme, later nicknamed the “kodachrome” paint scheme by railfans, due to the resemblance of the colors on the box that Kodak packaged it’s kodachrome film in. The merger was opposed by the Justice Department in ’85, and denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission in July of ‘86.  The ICC’s reason was that the merged railroad would have too many duplicate routes, and therefore be monopolistic.
Both railroads appealed the decision of the ICC, and the merger was voted on again in June of ’87.

And this is where my version of history changes…

After showing plans for line abandonments and line sales, and agreements for trackage rights and haulage rights with other railroads, most notably the Denver & Rio Grande and the Union Pacific, the ICC gave the go-ahead for the 2 railroads to become one.  Now it was time for the large renumbering system to start and the continuation of the repainting program, now not just confined to their locomotives, but to be added to rolling stock as well.

 

 

 

 

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