Does any one Know: 1) When did Southern start adding the nose herald to Geeps? (I'm guessing around 1970?) 2)When did Southern go from Roman lettering to BLOCK lettering on rolling Stock? Thanks

-- Roy M. Willliams (sluggo47@bellsouth.net), June 10, 2000

Answers

The earliest evidence of a nose herald on a road diesel I have is SD40-2 #3204, delivered so decorated in December 1972. As GP7 and GP9 types would not have received nose heralds until a repaint was required, typically, many ran into the late 1970's without that decoration. GP7 #8259 was sans herald in 1975, and others are so running into 1977. In answer to the Roman-to-Block lettering on freight cars question... The earliest I've found are the aluminum coal gons with red Block lettering such as #1249, dated February 1960. There were gondolas painted in April 1958 with Roman lettering. The famous articulated hopper #100 had large Block lettering in August 1965. There was a series of Thrall Car Mfg. Co. advertisements in 1966 issues of MODERN RAILROAD magazine showing box, flat and pulpwood cars with Block lettering. So it would appear that the change in lettering style came about 1959-1960.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), June 11, 2000.