KEY POINTS:
First clockwork orange was wound down, then fruit salad went off and bumble bee took flight, now corn cob is to be shucked.
New Zealand's ageing rail locomotives will get another facelift and a new coat of paint when the Government buys them back at the end of the month.
While workers would probably prefer new trains, they will have to repaint the old ones for a sixth time, to reflect a change of direction or ownership of the business.
But they are betting the new look under Government ownership will not be the green and yellow paint job of the current owner, Toll Holdings of Australia.
The new name of the business and its corporate colours have been decided but are a closely held secret ahead of an unveiling.
However, don't expect black with a silver fern - it wouldn't be visible enough at rail crossings.
Those planning the new livery are trying to line up examples of all the corporate colours that have adorned the locomotive fleet.
Because not all locomotives were repainted each time a change was decided on, examples of all the corporate liveries are still in use.
Some of them are known in the industry as fruit salad, bumble bee and corn cob.
In the 1970s, before the corporatisation of the business, locomotives were painted orange and yellow - a combination dubbed clockwork orange by workers.
From 1978, fruit salad - a mix of red, yellow, grey and black - starting appearing on the rails.
When New Zealand Rail Ltd split from the Railways Corporation in 1991 a new look of blue, yellow, grey and black appeared.
After rail was privatised in 1993 the New Zealand Rail logo was painted out and Tranz Rail painted in.
Around 2001, when the business was still Tranz Rail, the locomotives were painted black and yellow to help improve visibility at rail crossings. This became known as the "bumble bee" period.
When Toll Holdings took control in 2003 the green and yellow colour scheme went on, heralding the "corn cob" period.
- NZPA
