Rio Grande Western Railway: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index

See Denver & Rio Grande: Paint Information

Locomotives

1891

The stacks on Rio Grande Western 51 and 35 were painted red (51 was noted to be painted this way in honor of William Jackson Palmer's special inspection train, so this may have been a temporary appearance).

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 January 1891

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 30 January 1891

1906

Freight locomotives are lettered in aluminum leaf, except for "KEEP OFF" stencils which are painted in white lead.

Lettering Freight Locomotives Rio Grande Western Railway, 8 May 1906. Denver Public Library Collection.

Freight Cars

Freight cars followed the D&RG painting standards of Prince's Metallic Brown with white lettering and black ironwork.

Cabooses followed the D&RG painting standards of "brilliant red" bodies, imitation gold lettering, Prince's Metallic floors and Tuscan Red window sashes.

Passenger Equipment

1891

Business Car "Nomad" (not to be confused with the narrow gauge business car of the same name on the D&RG) has seats upholstered in blue and gray.

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 3 February 1891

1898

Passenger cars followed the D&RG painting standard of Tuscan Red bodies with black ironwork.

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 21 March 1899

Business ca

1899

The Rio Grande Western adopted Oregon Short Line's painting standard of Van Dyke Brown bodies with black ironwork and gold leaf lettering and striping.

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 21, 1899

"The standard color, Tuscan red, now used for Rio Grande Western passenger equipment, will be succeeded by the Van Dyke brown. Vice-President and General Manager D. C. Dodge made the statement yesterday,... This change the result of Dodge seeing the chair cars for the Chicago-Portland Special and liking their appearance..."

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 25, 1899

"The 'Colorado - Utah Line' legend is to go on all RGW cars as they are repainted in brown with gold lettering. Mail and express car no. 3 is the first car so done; it has 'Wells, Fargo & Co.' and 'Express,' curved, in the space between doors on the sides, with 'Baggage' at one end, and 'U. S. Mail' at the other."

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 15, 1899

"The RGW plans to repaint all passenger equipment to 'Colorado - Utah Line' light brown scheme. Colorado - Utah Line cars are now used on trains 9 and 10."

Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 23, 1899

1908

Rio Grande Western cars repainted to match D&RG standards but keeping "RGW" reporting marks. They are painted "Pullman Color" (dark olive green) with crown moldings black and gold leaf lettering. Roof was Prince's Mineral Brown. Steps are body color. Signal hoses and gas valve caps painted vermilion.

Denver & Rio Grande instructions for painting Rio Grande Western passenger cars, Denver Public Library Collection

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index