Re: (erielack) EL Diamond: Blast from the Past (1998)

["Bill K." <pontiac_@_dreamscape.com>]

This probably doesn't mean anything, but am I the only one to notice the
blue EL plug door box that Bachmann's been including in low end HO sets...
mysteriously lost it's EL logo?   Of course these cars are made as cheaply
as possible, but this car was a fairly simple one-color pass to get the
lettering on.   So why lose the logo?  Could they have lost the rights to
reproduce it temporarily?  (It does now appear on their Silver Series EL
caboose).


Bill K.


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Beckett" <tabeckett_@_stny.rr.com>
To: "Blue Moon Network Administrator" <root_@_net.bluemoon.net>; "Erie
Lackawanna Mail List" <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: (erielack) EL Diamond: Blast from the Past (1998)


> Just my 2 cents' worth...I can't imagine that either CSX or NS, at this
> point now two "generations" removed from the likes of LV, RDG, EL, not to
> mention the other minor players in the Conrail system(not that EL was
minor,
> but it certainly was not one of the core parts of the system, as PRR and
NYC
> turned out to be) place much priority on protecting the trademarks of
those
> long fallen flags, even if they do have the rights. Without getting into a
> long discourse on the invisibility of railroads in today's society, it
bears
> saying that the railroad industry as a group has not done much to raise
its
> "brand awareness" in today's world. I doubt most people who aren't fans,
> customers, or employees truly have a very good idea what CSX does-except
> maybe when they're stuck at a crossing. Save for things like Operation
> Lifesaver, it seems the rails are doing their best to keep a very low
> profile. Now, 26 years later, I'd venture even fewer have a very clear
> picture of the EL, etc, except maybe in places like Hornell or Sayre. I
> can't see the surviving roads going to a lot of effort to protect the
> trademarks of long defunct predecessors, except maybe if they were used in
> some way that was derogatory or defamatory to the present holders.
>
> The CSX licensing agreement reminded me of a story that appeared, I think,
> in Model Railroader some years ago. Seems there was a guy who was modeling
a
> paper mill on his layout, and  wanted to get permission from Westvaco to
use
> their logo on the mill in his layout. Rather that just cut the logo off a
> milk carton, he wrote to them asking permission to use it. Westvaco denied
> the request, sending the reply on their letterhead, in an envelope with
> their logo in the corner. Our man cut the logos off the letterhead and
> envelope and applied them to his mill-they were the perfect size.
Touche!!!
>
> Tom B
>
>
> > I have been under the impression that the EL herald went into the public
> > domain with the dissolution of the corporation in 1992.
> >
>

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