Studebaker, Loewy and train painting...

[JBOYLE]

I saw this painting in the January 2011, Classic and Sports Car magazine.
Its monthly "Motoring Art" feature is on Chris Ludlow, a French artist known for paintinng cars and trains.
He just completed a commision called "Ego Trip", it shows Raymond Loewy driving a 51 Commander Regal Deluxe pacing one of Loewy's other designs a Pennsylvania T1 Dulex.

You can see the painting in a larger scale, see his other work and learn more about the artist at:

http://www.peintredurail.com/

I wonder who commissioned the original painting?

[Studebaker Wheel]

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee285/studeq/newsgroup/38convsedanswooshesforum.jpg?t=1292612390

While I cannot answer your question I thought you might like to see this artwork that was done by Curt Sochocki (South Bend) at my request in 2008. Two similar pieces were done, one with a black convertible sedan, on commission from the owners of the cars. The image above ("Rolling Elegance by Raymond Loewy") was used in the July/August 2009 issue of the Antique Studebaker Review Both the locomotive and the car are attributed to Raymond Loewy Associates.

[Studebaker Wheel]

[50starlite]

I'd say it's a '50.
Follow the link, really neat!! Thanks.

[PlainBrownR2]

I just found a neat factoid while looking for the originator of that T-1 painting. The Curt Sochocki painting shows a somewhat different shrouding than what appeared on the S-1 or the T-1. So while I was looking, I found that Loewy had also done some designing of the shrouding for the K-4's. The K-4's were Pennsylvania Railroad's 4-6-2's, which were not only a mainstay for the railroad, but they were also a premier passenger engine as well.

[Warren Webb]

As a kid growing up in New Jersey a block from the main line that ran down to "the shore" I fell in love with the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1. It wasnt until perhaps 5 years ago that I found out that engine was a Loewy design too, along with what was my second car, a 54 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine! Never stops amazing me how he had such an eye for style.

[raprice]

Very nice Dick. Yellow really stands out nicely on that '38. I remember that Studebaker used yellow quite a bit in their ads, especially when advertising convertibles.
Thanks.
Rog

[christophe]

I met the guy last saturday in Paris at Retromobile. He is a real charming fellow. Englishman by birth, he now resides in France. I bought two reproductions of his paintings and several postcards. I have the feeling that this is not the last time. The Loewy's painting was in Paris too. He told me, it was ordered by somebody who worked for the Pennsylvania RR. It 'll be shipped to U.S. next month.

[JBOYLE]

I met the guy last saturday in Paris at Retromobile.

You're a lucky man, I've always wanted to attend the event. My English sister-in-law has a vacation home in France, so perhaaps one of these years.

I do hope he does an Avanti, that would be a great subject for a period painting...with a early Jet airliner or a businessman with his (now vintage, then new) business plane.

[christophe]

Retromobile is a nice show with outstanding cars but is also very tiring (light, heat and crowd) and very expensive (4 euros for a short beer!). Moreover, interesting parts at correct prices are gone for a long time.
As far as I now, Ludlow doesn't paint airplanes but I suppose you could order such a object. According to his wife, which is also his agent, the Loewy picture cost 10 000 euros. Prepare your check!

[JBOYLE]

According to his wife, which is also his agent, the Loewy picture cost 10 000 euros. Prepare your check!

That's more than it cost me to paint my real Avanti...

[PlainBrownR2]

For those of us in the US, 10,000 Euros is 13,547.00 USD.....will that be paper or plastic?

[clonelark]

I've lived in Tulsa all my life (67) except for the 3 years in the service. In March 1960 i was shipped to Orleans France for 19 months of service in the army. (553rd Engineers) I was suprised they were still running Steam trains there. While in France i went on leave and took a train to Barcelona,Spain, we went along the French Riviera and the coastline of the Mediterranern sea (Gulf of lion) what a spectacular veiw that was.
The last Steam train was 1952 for the Tulsa area, I lived about 1/2 block away from the Katy RR tracks as a kid and played around the train tracks alot.

[PlainBrownR2]

I've lived in Tulsa all my life (67) except for the 3 years in the service. In March 1960 i was shipped to Orleans France for 19 months of service in the army. (553rd Engineers) I was suprised they were still running Steam trains there. While in France i went on leave and took a train to Barcelona,Spain, we went along the French Riviera and the coastline of the Mediterranern sea (Gulf of lion) what a spectacular veiw that was.
The last Steam train was 1952 for the Tulsa area, I lived about 1/2 block away from the Katy RR tracks as a kid and played around the train tracks alot.

That's a lengthy and complicated story about the transition to diesel, but it basically boiled down to the simple idea that, "One technology makes more money, needs less attention to maintenance details, and is more cost effective for a railroad company than another technology". The diesels started appearing in and around the '30's, and over the next 20 years or so, they phased out the steam engines. It didn't happen with all of the railroad lines all at once, in fact the N&W's bumped theirs off the mainlines in 1958. The steam engines were removed from the mainlines, and then sent to the secondary duties, switchyard duties, and so on, until they were put on a deadline and removed completely. My grandparents worked for the CB&Q's roundhouses down by Springfield, IL, and they were around until the late 60's still working the local stuff, until the railroad put them on a deadline with a "For sale" sign on the engines. You had to be responsible for taking it off the property though, as they weren't allowed on the mainlines anymore. The bad thing is when the diesels came in, all of the jobs, shops, and the roundhouses for maintaining the steamers went out, and the area withered significantly down there because of it. In the case of what was occurring worldwide, if the steam engines were still making the line money, they would keep them around until something better came along. Heck, the Iowa Interstate picked up a pair of Chinese 2-10-2's to rent out for excursions, which were still operating until 10 years ago over there. The reason they bought their diesels is the same reason we bought our diesels, they finally decided that they were not needed anymore, and that diesels were a cheaper alternative.

[christophe]

The 30th september of 1972, the last regular passenger steam train rode in France.
Since, many associations have maintained a part ( too tiny for me) of this patrimony, though most of it went to scrap including unique masterpieces.
I wish we were as resolute as the english people. They have rebuilt a brand new PACIFIC! http://www.a1steam.com/