A 1967 era Great Northern Railroad 40 foot grain service box car.

A 1967 era Great Northern Railroad 40 foot grain service box car., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this photograph a few years ago, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.

One of my favorite railroad color shemes I remember from my own childhood, was the Great Northern Railroad's "Big Sky Blue" color scheme introduced by the GN in 1967.

Introduced by the Great Northern in 1967 as a corporate "New Image" color scheme and nicknamed "Big Sky Blue" in honor of the state of Montana being known as the "Big Sky Country", this color scheme was short lived.

On March 2nd 1970, the Great Northern -the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy -The Northern Pacific -and the Spokane, Portland & Seatle Railroads had all merged and became the Burlington Northern Railroad.

Although the B N's own Cascade green and black color scheme had replaced the GN big sky blue color scheme on diesel locomotives, several locomotives rolled around in the former GN big sky blue color scheme and the earlier GN Omaha orange and Pulman green color scheme in to the mid 1970's. I also recall occasionally seeing several older un repainted GN , NP, and C,B & Q cars rolling around in pre merger color schemes on BN freight trains, passing through La Grange Illinois during the 1980's. Occasionally a GN big sky blue car would pass through on these trains through out the 1980's.

Thanks.
Eddie K.