Amtrak unveils new 50th Anniversary units & Phase VII paint scheme

[PerRock]

I didn't see a thread about this...
In a new video about paint schemes, Amtrak has shown a preview of their new 50th Anniversary Units & the new Phase VII paint scheme.

You can see the video here:


Some screen-grabs of the new paint (taken by u/MrWhiskers8000 on reddit)

 

[Cal]

I saw it, and I like it. I wonder if they are replacing the old heritage units or simply adding to them. And it seems like the bottom left one is basically just 156.

But they are painting the p42s, so I assume that means they will be staying for a good amount of time.

 

[trainman74]

Interesting that right at the beginning of the video, they show a newspaper headline that spelled "Amtrak" incorrectly -- I know there were newspapers that managed to get the spelling right!

 

[Seaboard92]

For some reason I am really looking forward to the Midnight Blue P42 and the Phase VI P42. I wonder when we will see the first of these wandering around. I see me making a few trips to Florence to photograph the Palmetto in the coming year.

 

[TheMalahat]

What a fun video.

Amtrak's branding in the last twenty years has obviously been a hot mess. The pinnacle for me being the Phase III new Viewliners. Like what is up with that?

Anyways it's exciting to see that there appears to be a vision ahead again with Phase VII, and I'm liking the heritage schemes being on locomotives that probably only have a couple years left on them. That way they can be enjoyed and then hopefully we start seeing cohesion again in the fleet. With Phase VII planned I would hope there will be less Phase VI chargers?

 

[neroden]

The 6 "historic" paint schemes for the new locomotives have nods to everything but Phase II. No love for Phase II. I liked Phase II. ;-)

 

[Seaboard92]

The 6 "historic" paint schemes for the new locomotives have nods to everything but Phase II. No love for Phase II. I liked Phase II. ;-)

The Phase II Heritage Unit is actually my favorite of the bunch right now.

 

[jis]

Maybe they'll just slap a big yllow 50 on the current Phase II and Phase III units?

 

[mfastx]

Do we know if they are actually gonna repaint all of the existing rolling stock currently in service, or continue to just have new rolling stock come online in the new scheme, contributing even more to this mess?

 

[Cal]

Do we know if they are actually gonna repaint all of the existing rolling stock currently in service, or continue to just have new rolling stock come online in the new scheme, contributing even more to this mess?

No idea.


And I wish they just painted a dash-8 in the pepsi can livery and painted the P42 in phase III. That one is my favorite livery, it's just so good.

 

[neroden]

Maybe they'll just slap a big yllow 50 on the current Phase II and Phase III units?

...the ones they painted for the 40th. Quite likely, now that I think about it.

 

[neroden]

Do we know if they are actually gonna repaint all of the existing rolling stock currently in service, or continue to just have new rolling stock come online in the new scheme, contributing even more to this mess?

Oh, it's a tribute to the Rainbow Era, isn't it?

 

[Cal]

...the ones they painted for the 40th. Quite likely, now that I think about it.

I hope not!

 

[jis]

Oh, it's a tribute to the Rainbow Era, isn't it?

Yeah paint the cars to commemorate the Rainbow Era!

 

[frequentflyer]

Whats the difference between Phase 4 and 7 on pax cars other than the broken arrow? Seriously, did the fleet update to the "new" blue on the same livery?

 

[Barb Stout]

When I had previously seen the Phase I livery, I thought to myself, "Why do they have a pictogram of an antibody on the train?" I was a biomedical scientist, so that's why it looked like that to me. Then I thought it must be a pictogram of a wye, but it never occurred to me it was the pictogram of an arrow of any type at all. I still can't see it.

 

[Cal]

When I had previously seen the Phase I livery, I thought to myself, "Why do they have a pictogram of an antibody on the train?" I was a biomedical scientist, so that's why it looked like that to me. Then I thought it must be a pictogram of a wye, but it never occurred to me it was the pictogram of an arrow of any type at all. I still can't see it.

Maybe this will help? I don't know, all I see is an arrow

 

[Barb Stout]

View attachment 21240

Maybe this will help? I don't know, all I see is an arrow

Nope, I'm still seeing an antibody. Too many years of working with immunology has twisted me, I guess.

 

[Cal]

Nope, I'm still seeing an antibody. Too many years of working with immunology has twisted me, I guess.

That's okay lol. I do prefer the current logo anyway, and it took me a long time to realize that it had tracks in it

 

[zephyr17]

I vote for a genuine, historic Day 1 livery:

Santa Fe Warbonnet, maybe with a Pointless Arrow placard patched on the side.

In point of fact, there was not a thing in any Amtrak livery of any sort on Day 1 to my knowledge. And that black with the blue and white stripes was heinous even at the time.

 

[jis]

That's okay lol. I do prefer the current logo anyway, and it took me a long time to realize that it had tracks in it

You mean the one euphemistically called "Three sheets to the wind"?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I prefer three sheets over an arrow with the head shoved up its caboose. Amtrak's headless arrow is quite possibly the least attractive and most ridicule inducing logo I've ever seen. To this day I can't believe they actually went with it.

 

[MisterUptempo]

I prefer three sheets over an arrow with the head shoved up its caboose. Amtrak's headless arrow is quite possibly the least attractive and most ridicule inducing logo I've ever seen. To this day I can't believe they actually went with it.

Well, it was the 70's after all...

 

[Cal]

I prefer three sheets over an arrow with the head shoved up its caboose. Amtrak's headless arrow is quite possibly the least attractive and most ridicule inducing logo I've ever seen. To this day I can't believe they actually went with it.

I mean, I don't hate it. But I don't love it.

 

[ShiningTimeStL]

I'm so confused. What even is Phase VI? Why then Phase VII all the sudden? Are they introducing two new phases at the same time? Am I missing something here? Is there any equipment currently painted in Phase VI? I can't think of any. Man, this is a lot.