Athearn Genesis HO GEN GP7u Locomotive, ATSF 'Kodachrome' #2126

The “Kodachrome” paint scheme was a striking red, yellow, and black livery applied to hundreds of locomotives in the 1980s. It was created for the anticipated merger of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) and the Southern Pacific (SP) railroads into the Santa Fe Southern Pacific (SPSF). Railfans dubbed the scheme “Kodachrome” because the bright red and yellow colors heavily resembled the iconic yellow, red, and black boxes of Kodak film. Locomotives featured yellow fronts (often retaining the classic Santa Fe warbonnet shape), red along the body, and black trim along the roofline. Because the railroads were legally required to operate separately until the merger was finalized, they only painted their own initials, either “SP” or “SF” on the hood sides. A large gap was left adjacent to the letters to allow “SPSF” to be completed after official approval. Both railroads were confident that the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) would approve the merger that they painted numerous locomotives before the official ruling. After the ICC rejected the merger, railfans humorously reinterpreted the “SPSF” acronym as “Shouldn’t Paint So Fast”. According to our research, six GP7u locomotives received the “Kodachrome” scheme.