KCS hosted a photo shoot with the locomotive and its Shreveport-based military active duty and veteran employees.
“With the painting of KCS 4006, we wanted to demonstrate our patriotism for our country and our pride in U.S. military activity duty and veteran employees, past and present, who are a part of the KCS family,” says KCS Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey M. Songer.
The idea for this locomotive came from KCS Assistant Vice President of locomotive operations Chris Mitchell, who worked with contractor Jerry Barton to paint the locomotive. In recent years, Mitchell and Barton have been involved in converting the KCS locomotive fleet from its previous grey paint scheme to the current red, yellow, and black, heritage paint scheme.
KCS also honored its active duty and veteran employees throughout the network with a portrait slide show and breakfast at corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.
“The values and work ethic of military active duty and veteran workers align very well with KCS and the
railroad industry in general,” says KCS Senior Vice President of human resources Lora Cheatum. “We salute these important workers on Veterans Day and actively recruit them into our workforce all year round.”
— A Kansas City Southern news release. Nov. 12, 2018.
If they’re active duty, they AREN’T working for the railroad. Maybe Guard and Reserve, but certainly not Active Duty.
Good to see some patriotism, but paint scheme looks a little familiar. Im surprised nobody here has said that this thing looks like a poor attempt at copying the UP 1943.
Hope it stays north of the Rio Grande.
Not fond of the green, looks like a Flag Draped coffin!
It least this isn t a rotten GE model made in Erie.
Seriously? The NAFTA railway still has a home country with patriotic allegiance?
I don’t believe KCS had it in mind to copy Union Pacific. Just compare all of the patriotic color schemes that America’s railroads decorated Mr. D’s Machine when they celebrated 200 years of American Freedom in 1976 and you’ll find that many were simular in design but didn’t go so far as to duplicate one another.
I’d sure like to see it make its way north into Oklahoma.
Stunning.
Looks Great – hope to see it on a nice Sunny day!!
As a Vet, who proudly served three years with the US Army Transportation Corps in the mid-1960s, my sincerest respect goes to Kansas City Southern for this patriotic demonstration of pride, not only to the United States where this great railroad provides the highest quality freight service possible, but additionally to the countless brave men and women, past and present, who gave and continue to give of themselves, so freedom will endure for future generations to come.
Sure a beauty, but I would not wanted to be the one to have to tape all of those stripes. Hard to keep them parallel. Good job KCS