UNION PACIFIC HERITAGE PROJECT
Over several years, Union Pacific had acquired some of the country’s most historic railroads—Southern Pacific, MOPAC, Rio Grande...
With new employees feeling disenfranchised and unsure of who they now worked for, we had to find a way to pay homage to the history of those lines, while also helping more than 15,000 employees begin to feel like they are a valued part of the Union Pacific family.
The idea was simple: Design and produce a commemorative locomotive for each of the railroads based on their historical color schemes, designs and logos and get them back on the rails as a way to celebrate and preserve the heritage of these lines.
The line "Proud Heritage. Powerful Future." captured the spirit of the project.
The locomotives were designed and painted under great secrecy. They were then transported under tarp to the former railroad's hometown and unveiled at family events.
We thought rail fans (a.k.a. "foamers") would be excited about these special locomotives, but one enthusiast's Double-Rainbow enthusiasm was even featured on Tosh.O.
Model railroad manufacturers soon had miniature replicas of the fleet on store shelves, and they continue to be on back order.