Re: TOC (ca. 1900) locomotive colors

Posted by Jim Courtney on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/TOC-ca-1900-locomotive-colors-tp15401p15417.html

Here is Jeff's post describing the green paint on C&S #9 dome tops:

Paint chips I sampled from with a razor blade from the top of 9's steam done and boiler jacket in 2004 relvealed 5 layers of "paint". Unfortunately I have not found the tiny Ziploc bag of this sample ( in my storage I hope) to image a proof of the first layer was green, like faded light olive but not drab green, although perhaps with serious oxidation. Second was drop black as described a drop of blue in black. Sort of gray-blue- black. But not lamp black. Third layer; black- black. Fourth layer; black-black. Fifth layer; Chinese Red. I fear in 2005 Marlin Ullrich under contract with the Colorado historical society sand-blasted this evidence into eturnity for whatever that was worth. Anyhow I believe that after the rebuildings of the  at the early days of the C&S, the sheet steel boilers jackets/ tops and bottoms of the domes  were finished olive green.


I think Todd is correct about the colors and lettering on C&S 71 at Pitkin c.1903. The early photo of number 9 in Grandt's Pictorial seems to suggest the same:




It is my interpretation that the smoke box and stacks are "graphite and oil" -- dark when first applied, becoming a lighter, silvery color with time.

I am suspecting that the paint scheme preceded the "Columbine" lettering phase, consider C&S 68 and 66 c.1899-1900:





Both seem to have a light boiler jacket and domes, with the center bands of the domes a darker color (black ?), most noticeable on C&S 66. I would imagine that the smoke box and straight portion of the McConnell stack to be graphite and oil, while the upper "pancake" diamond portion of the stack is black.

It may be that the paint scheme dated back to the Trumbull receivership:




Back in DL&G days, number 272 (later C&S 69) looks very much like Todd's photo of C&S 71, although it is impossible to say with black and white photos. Did UP painting specs from the 1890's ever specify green boiler jackets??

I hope Jeff Ramsey can find that little zip lock bag with the paint chips from number 9, so he can post some photos of the green in question. His description of an oxidized faded light olive reminds me, in my minds eye, of the grey-green color that the Texas & Pacific used, to paint the boiler jackets of the big 2-10-4 locomotives. How would this "green" look on the boiler jacket and domes of an Sn3 model of C&S 10 or 66 or 68 at the turn of the century??