View source for Illinois Central Railroad Paint Information

[[Reference]] / [[Historic Railroad Paint Color Index]]
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==Passenger Equipment==

'''1870'''

Illinois Central post office cars are painted dark yellow with black stripes and "little ornament." Interiors are finished in black walnut.

''[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015021737674?urlappend=%3Bseq=217| The Railroad Gazette, 26 October 1870]''

'''1880'''

The standard color of the Illinois Central for passenger cars is "bright yellow."

''[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q0qPVmCI5UKTRzjVCz4Q9JTWUmEs69JJ/view?usp=sharing| The Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL), 15 May 1880]''

'''1890'''

Passenger coaches are painted yellow "with very little ornamentation."

''[https://catalog.lindahall.org/discovery/delivery/01LINDAHALL_INST:LHL/1286055090005961?lang=en| The National Car and Locomotive Builder, May 1890, pg. 78]''

'''1893'''

Passenger cars are painted yellow.

''[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lig1Cop92f8xWXbUY0oCPLeCUx_ap5tf/view?usp=sharing| The Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, PA), 24 February 1893]''

Cars dating to the 1860s are used in commuter service for the Chicago Columbian Exposition. They are described as "dun-colored" with white painted interiors.

''The Chicago Record (Chicago, IL), 10 October 1893''

'''1894'''

New passenger cars used between Centralia and Dubuque are painted a similar shade of green to that used by the Wabash.

''The Decatur Herald (Decatur, IL), 17 August 1894''

Passenger cars are repainted "Pullman Color" except for Chicago suburban cars which continue to be painted yellow.

''[https://catalog.lindahall.org/discovery/delivery/01LINDAHALL_INST:LHL/1286055650005961?lang=en| The National Car and Locomotive Builder, September 1894]''

'''1908'''

Coaches are painted "deep greenish tint" on the exterior and "softer shades" of green on the interior.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038306/1908-10-21/ed-1/seq-5/| Manchester Democrat (Manchester, Iowa), 21 October 1908.]''

'''1950'''

Pullman's painting diagrams for Illinois Central service list the following paint names and codes for the ICRR scheme: Rust Brown #70-28, Orange #70-29, Yellow #70-30, Black L-43, Light Buff #70-312.

Roof, letterboard, window panels, bottom sill, end walls, car steps and diaphragms are painted Rust Brown.

Girder sheet (panels below windows) are orange.

Stripes are yellow.

Underframe is painted black, except for outside faces of equipment boxes which are painted Rust Brown. Grab irons are either stainless steel or black.

Interior of vestibules are painted light buff.

"PULLMAN" and "PANAMA LIMITED" lettering is yellow, car name is Rust Brown.

''[https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/nby_pullman/id/3509/rec/2| "Painting, Striping and Lettering, I.C. Owned Lightweight Cars," The Pullman Company: Chicago, Illinois. 22 November 1950.]''

''[https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/nby_pullman/id/5189| "Exterior Painting of N&W Owned Cars in Ill. Central Service," The Pullman Company: Chicago, Illinois. 28 June 1962.]''

==Freight Cars==

'''1887'''

35-foot stock cars are painted yellow.

''[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=GG18870905-01.1.3&srpos=7&e=02-01-1839-01-01-1904--en-100--1--txt-txIN---------| Galena Daily Gazette, 5 September 1887]''

'''1890'''

Boxcar color is changed to dark brown.

''The Courier (Waterloo, IA), 31 December 1890''

'''1899'''

The Illinois Central adopts air pumps to paint freight cars, which provides a smoother, more protective coat than hand-painting with a brush.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85035816/1900-01-05/ed-1/seq-6/| The Morris County Chronicle (Morristown, New Jersey), 5 January 1900.]''

'''1946'''

Two-bay covered hoppers built for Illinois Central by Pullman-Standard are painted with Sherwin-Williams Carclad. Factory coat was reported to be defect-free in 1951.

''Railway Age 30 August 1951 p56.''

==Structures==

'''1858'''

Right of way milestones are painted white.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86092535/1858-06-01/ed-1/seq-1/| Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, Virginia), 1 June 1858.]''

'''1902'''

The Paducah Kentucky paint shop and planing mill are painted with a fireproof paint. The newspaper description indicates an asbestos product. Paint is applied with air pumps.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052116/1902-01-14/ed-1/seq-2/| The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky), 14 January 1902.]''

'''1908'''

The Manchester Iowa depot is painted in "two shades of green, the company's trademark color."

Water tanks are painted green.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038306/1908-10-21/ed-1/seq-5/| Manchester Democrat (Manchester, Iowa), 21 October 1908.]''

'''1914'''

The Illinois Central adopts a paint recycling program; paint "skins" and dried slop is collected, ground, and mixed with boiling oil. This process saves the company $177 per month.

''[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1914-08-02/ed-1/seq-61/| The Sun (New York, New York), 2 August 1914.]''




[[Reference]] / [[Historic Railroad Paint Color Index]]