The Union Pacific Railroad is one of the largest freight-hauling railroads in the United States that spans routes of more than 50,000 kilometres. Its logo and its various iterations embody the rich history of the company and its connection to the American heritage. Over the years, the logo has undergone numerous transformations, which reflect changes in design trends, corporate identity, and the broader socio-economic landscape. This article explores the timelines of the evolution of the Union Pacific logo over the years.
The Genesis of the Union Pacific Logo (1868)
The journey of the Union Pacific logo began in 1868 with the introduction of the mountain elk logo. It featured a circular emblem comprising a stylised elk alongside a train in monochrome. This early design of the emblem was characterised by ornate Victorian aesthetics, which was typical of the period. The logo served as a representation of strength and connection to nature, which aligned with the railroad’s mission to connect the American West.
(1869)
Another variant of the mountain elk logo did the rounds during this period. It consisted of the emblem in colour containing a dark brown deer, blue skies, and snowy mountain peaks. A train pulling a series of yellow cars billowing black smoke appeared at the back. The emblem is surrounded by plenty of greenery and forest flowers. In fact, the emblem looked more like a painting rather than an official logo.
The company name (Union Pacific) was arched at the top, while the activity (Rail Road) appeared at the bottom. The stylish curved letters of both wordmarks appeared in lowercase, except “U,” “P,” and “C.” These letters had intricate filigree and beautiful glyphs with geometric themes. The other wordmarks, “Rail” and “Road,” written in an extra-bold serif font, had their outer ends tilted up and pointed in opposite directions.
(1871)
The company underwent an overhaul in its visual identity after being taken over by T.A. Scott. So, instead of the elk and other ornate details, it featured only the arched brand name in black capitals with grey shadows against a white background. The letters “U,” “P,” and “C” were massive, and the wordmark “Rail Road” appeared below in white enclosed within a stylised abstract design. It seemed to have been formed from the extended vertical bar of the letter “P.”
(1884)
The logo redesign of 1884 had the letters “U” and “P” with curvy ends interlaced to form what appeared as coats of arms. The wordmarks “Union” and “Pacific” with their serifs were written in white with dark shadows and set against a light grey background. However, the word “Railway” appeared below in black and in a much smaller size.
(1885)
In this logo iteration, the brand name in white capitals was written in three levels, where “Union” and “Pacific” were rendered using heavy and straightforward glyphs. The word “Railway,” on the other hand, appeared thin and in a smaller size. The wordmarks were pitched against a black square with ornate drawings inside.
(1887)
In 1887, Union Pacific adopted its first shield logo, which marked a significant shift towards a more modern and recognisable corporate identity. Designed by the passenger agent, Edward L. Lomax, this shield was designed to symbolise strength and resilience. It reflected the foundational ties the company had to the Pacific Railroad Act that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The wordmarks of the logo were “Union Pacific Route” in bold white capitals, where the word “Pacific” was written in a stylised font with glyphs.
(1888)
The shield logo received red and white stripes and was paired with blue at the top. Diagonally from left to right and moving upward, there was a blue stripe with a white outline featuring the letter “Overland” in white capitals. The letters in white capitals were juxtaposed with a small double ring circle at the centre containing the words “The Route” arched along the edges of the circle.
(1889)
This logo version was almost a mirror image of its previous logo with only slight differences, especially in the size, style, and thickness of its wordmarks.
(1893)
In 1893, the previous logo was persisted with; just a new tagline, “The World’s Pictorial Line” was displayed in a straight line and in a much smaller size.
(1897 – 1904)
The financial turmoil of the late 19th century led to a takeover by E.H. Harriman in 1897. Under his leadership, a new shield design was introduced, known as the Bend Sinister Shield. This refined logo design featured a blue stripe at the centre of the shield that tilted downward from left to right to symbolise stability and direction of the company in the midst of uncertainty. The arched tagline “World’s Pictorial Line” was also prominently displayed as well. Besides, the red and blue colour palette was made darker.
(1904 – 1912)
This Bend Sinister Shield design appeared during this period without the tagline.
(1912 – 1914)
Following a legal division with Southern Pacific in 1912, Union Pacific updated its logo to include “Standard Road of the West” just below the brand name, albeit in a much smaller size. This reinforced its commitment to being a leader in western transportation. This period saw subtle modifications to the existing shield design while maintaining its core elements.
(1914 – 1933)
This logo was designed when two more railroads, “Oregon Short Line” and “Oregon Washington Railroad & Navigation Co., merged with the Union Pacific company. Consequently, the word “System” was added along with the name of the company. The rest of the logo design remained the same.
(1933 – 1939)
During this phase, Union Pacific reverted to an earlier version of the Harriman shield by removing the additional taglines for a cleaner look. This simplification reflected modernist design trends and aimed for greater brand clarity as America moved toward the Second World War.
(1939 – 1942)
The logo design of 1939 reflected trends in modernism. It showed the silhouette of the shield in orange with the words “Union Pacific” rendered in bold, thick, black capitals and set against a white background.
(1942 – 1950)
This logo reverted to the Bend Sinister Shield design without the Overland bend and annulet. Besides, the colour palette became lighter.
(1950 – 1969)
This logo redesign saw the colour palette becoming darker and the word “Railroad” being added in bold white capitals.
(1962)
In 1962, the logo design was overhauled with the abbreviated “U.P.” in white capitals featured against a red background inside a square with a thick black border. On the other hand, the full brand name is featured in red and maroon below the abbreviation against a white background. This version was called the “Campbell Soup” logo.
(1969 – 2002)
In 1969, Union Pacific underwent significant branding changes as it sought to clarify its corporate identity amidst confusion between its various subsidiaries. So, a new logotype was created by the New York design firm Chermayeff & Geismar. It distinguished the railroad from its parent corporation while retaining elements of its historical shield.
(2002 – Present)
This logo is a refinement of the previous shield logo with subtle tweaks. It featured attributes like compactness, simplicity, and two-dimensionality. The distributed colours of the American flag display high contrast in any medium.
The Elements of the Union Pacific Logo
Font
The lettering used in the Union Pacific logo is written in bold capitals and in a sans-serif typeface.
Colour
The colour palette of the Union Pacific logo consists of red, blue, and white to symbolise the colours of the American flag.
Finally
The Union Pacific logo and its various iterations reflect broader trends in design and branding while remaining deeply rooted in American history. Each iteration tells a story of resilience and adaptation, mirroring both the company’s journey and that of the nation it serves.