Louisville & Indiana uses logo to honor, recruit veterans

Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC) has painted a new logo on two diesel locomotives to honor U.S. military members and highlight the railroad's efforts to recruit military veterans for employment.

Designed by Tyler Hardin, the logo depicts the silhouettes of three soldiers from different eras — World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars — against a backdrop of the American flag. The design is framed by the LIRC keystone and includes five stars for the branches of service.

The locomotives are SD40-2 units numbered 3001 and 3002, which were repainted during a recent upgrade at Metro East Industries Inc. in Fairview Heights, Illinois. The units are leased from CIT Rail, LIRC officials said in a press release.

"We think this is a very simple and effective way of honoring veterans," said LIRC President John Goldman. "We're very cognizant of the fact we have veterans that need jobs, and they make good employees. In many ways, railroading and the military are similar, with challenging jobs, outdoor work, and odd shifts."

The railroad's efforts to hire veterans will continue, said Goldman.

"All things being equal, we prefer to give veterans the edge in hiring," he said.

Last summer, LIRC worked directly with Indiana's National Guard 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team when it was deployed from Camp Atterbury via LIRC tracks. The training mission simulated combat operations and involved approximately 309 rail cars, 1,207 pieces of equipment, and 6,000 soldiers.

The deployment was the first after a nine-track National Guard rail terminal on the LIRC at Edinburgh, Indiana, was completed. The facility is designed to enable more efficient rail movements of large quantities of material over long distances.