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Hey can anybody tell me what the story is behind the original "pointless arrow" amtrak logo? what is its meaning?
Hey and what does everybody think of amtraks new logo designs?
Eric Member # 674
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I'm not really sure what the original logo was designed to represent, but maybe it signifies "moving forward with train travel", or something to that effect. I like the new logo. It gives more of a modern look to the system, and has allowed a new image of Amtrak to be created. Although many people who aren't regular train riders or fans, unlike the majority of the contributors on this forum, still see Amtrak with the "pointless (inverted) logo," I think the new logo has caught on to a lot of travelers and the average public who see the logo on locomotives and rolling stock, advertising, etc.
dilly Member # 1427
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I started out as a graphic artist. From a design standpoint, the original arrow was far stronger and much more memorable than Amtrak's current "wave" (or, if you prefer, "three sheets to the wind").
Unlike today's wave, the old arrow met all the requirements of an effective logo. It could be seen very easily from a distance. It was instantly recognizable (even when used without the word "Amtrak"). It didn't look like any other logo. And it was red, white, and blue -- which fit perfectly with the railroad's name (derived, needless to say, from "American" and "Track").
The current logo seems to be an abstract representation of rails crossing a rolling landscape. But it could just as easily be the logo for a new automobile, a feminine hygiene product, or an underarm deodorant.
All in all, it's a very generic, extremely lazy design job.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 02-25-2003).]
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Dilly - your sense of humor is great!!!!!
An underarm deodorant, eh?
--Rich K
[This message has been edited by RRRICH (edited 02-25-2003).]
irish1 Member # 222
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i agree dilly the arrow was fine. when you leave things alone they become classics.
------------------ The Copper Country Limited [Milwaukee Road] and the Peninsula 400 [CNW} still my favorites
20th Century Member # 2196
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Dilly: I agree the "wave" logo, which is nice in appearance, is too generic. I like the arrow. To me it displays a joining of tracks to form a reliable interconnected rail system.
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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The original logo was intended to imply many rail lines or services being united under one company. I remember reading that the graphic design hired to create the logo (people get paid for this?) tried to sell a similar version to the newly merged Burlington Northern in 1970. The new logo is fine, although it needs a train in it. Sure, it could also be red and white. There are three segments, you know. Let's see how long it takes American Airlines to copy this paint job.
As far as which paint scheme I personally like better, phase 3 was great for its consistency, phase 4 looks bland as hell on a locomotive, and phase 5 is unique as a change from the older ways. Phase 5 wouldn't be so bad if the blue color would be darker and less of a color I don't like seeing every time I check my e-mail. Disclaimer: As is often the case with opinions, mine is skewed since they've made Amtrak 207s in phase 3 and 5. @#$%, if they made Amtrak deodorant, I'd buy it. Those little bars of soap were pretty frelling good...
------------------ F40PH #757099-8 March 29, 1976-November 18, 2001 Requietum in pacis
P42DC #53063 November 18, 2001-??? Incredibly large shoes to fill
efin98 Member # 1943
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I have been waiting to vent over the new logo so here it is: i never got the meaning of the new logo, it just seemed too bland and not worthy of being on a national train network. you are right Dilly,the old logo had power. it was bright, had meaning, and was unique. I could understand putting the new logo on the Acela Expresses, but come on. They should think about going back to the old logo. let this new one die out along with the Acela name!
CHATTER Member # 1185
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Like the others, I do not like the new logo, which seems very generically "New Age." It is not clear what it signifies, but then again, the pointless arrow was not exactly clear, either. The mere fact that we have such a thread here is evidence of that.
I would say that the solution lies somewhere in the middle. The original logo fulfilled the basic functions of any logo--as Dilly so humorously explained--except for the possible complaint that its relationship to railroading was not clear. But it COULD be easily identified at a distance, which is not, I fear, something that could be said of the current logo.
OTOH, the typeface of the current AMTRAK name is a much-needed overhaul of the old, very seventies, type of font. Though I originally disliked the current paint phase, familiarity is causing it to grow on me, and the colors seem more modern. And modernity, while not always a great thing, is definitely a concept that trains in general, and Amtrak in particular, need desperately.
So I would vote for a return to the pointless arrow, perhaps with a train superimposed on it, all with a larger size word AMTRAK, font in the current style.
Superliner Member # 1670
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I like the new logo, but I don't think I was around the old one long enough to fall in love with it. The Phase V P-40/42/32 locomotives against the Phase IVb cars I think look good. The red/white/blue was getting old and too '80's.
[This message has been edited by Ken V (edited 03-01-2003).]
dilly Member # 1427
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re: "I remember reading that the graphic design hired to create the logo (people get paid for this?) tried to sell a similar version to the newly merged Burlington Northern in 1970."
It's a safe bet that if Amtrak had rejected the current "wave," the design firm would have sold it to Clairol or Toyota six months later.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 03-01-2003).]
Little Mazda Truck Member # 509
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Does anyone else think that the new logo is similar to that of Bank of America?
Eric Member # 674
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Little Mazda Truck wrote: "Does anyone else think that the new logo is similar to that of Bank of America?" _____________________________________________ Kind of, yes. The lines of force and the apparent "direction" that the lines are going in is similar to what Amtrak has.
I had never looked TOO closely at Amtrak's new logo, so today I stared at it for awhile, and noticed that the top and bottom sections of it start to "fold upwards", forming a "wall" around the "rails" in the middle. Maybe there's more to the logo than a casual glance provides. Anyone else see this, or is it still just another "modern logo?"
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Think that's bad? Take a look at www.railtrack.co.uk. Notice anything familiar?
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