Utah Railway: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index/Utah Railway: Paint Information

This page includes the Southern Utah Railroad, a predecessor to the Utah Railway.

Locomotives

1917

Steam locomotives built new by Baldwin followed Union Pacific common standard practices, painted black with aluminum leaf lettering.

Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification Books vol. 56 p249, Southern Methodist University Collection (p149 in digitized document).

Number plate figures were polished aluminum.

Drawing CA-4492 "Union Pacific System Common Standard Number Plate," 28 January 1905.

1920

Steam locomotives purchased through the Union Pacific Equipment Association are painted black with no striping.

Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification Books vol. 69 p164, Southern Methodist University Collection (p103 in digitized document).

Rolling Stock

1913

Southern Utah Railroad caboose 50, built for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and obtained through the Yawkey Bissell Lumber Company, was painted red on the exterior and green on the interior.

Inspection Report of Wood Caboose: Robert W. Hunt & Co. Engineers, Bureau of Inspection, Tests and Consultation. 30 January 1913.

Defect card holders on rolling purchased through the Union Pacific Equipment Association are painted CS-17 lamp black, regardless of color of carbody, with white lettering spelling "DEFECT CARDS."

Drawing C-420 "Common Standard Defect Card Board," May 1904, revised 21 October 1913.

1923

Cabooses 57 and 58, built by the Mount Vernon Car Company, are painted according to Union Pacific Common Standards, CS-11 Metallic (brown) with CS-13 Carbon Black on trucks and iron work. This was done because Mount Vernon lost the painting records of previous Utah Railway purchases so Utah Railway instructed them to follow Union Pacific's standards.

1927

Caboose 61, built by the Mount Vernon Car Company, is painted according to Union Pacific Common Standards, CS-11 Metallic (brown) with CS-13 Carbon Black on trucks and iron work.

Anderson, G.S. "Utah Railway Company Requisition for Material and Supplies," Salt Lake City. 8 June 1927.

1930

Utah Railway changes the color of its cabooses from "box car red" to Vitralite Mahogany.

Ax-I-Dent-Ax September 1930 p12.

Structures

1923

The interior woodwork of the Hiawatha Yard Office, built in 1922, is stained dark walnut color.

Drawing 8608 "Hiawatha Yards Office Building," Utah Railway Co. Engineering Department, Salt Lake City. 18 May 1923.

1924

All wood structures are painted "Iron Brown or Metallic" with white trim and black window sashes.

Folder 8-S-9 Material: Standards. Color Drift Cards for structures. 1924.

Wood signs and posts are painted white with black lettering. Posts are dipped in hot coal tar 1 foot above the surface of the ground.

Drawing 10.025 "Common Standard Trespass Sign," Utah Railway Co. Engineering Department, Salt Lake City. 4 September 1924.

Wood railroad crossing signs are painted white with black letters and figures. Post is dipped in hot coal tar to 6 inches above the ground. Back of the signboard is painted with a mix of Metallic (mineral brown) and lamp black to make a "very dark brown."

Drawing 10.023 "Common Standard Fixed Sign Railway Crossing," Utah Railway Co. Engineering Department, Salt Lake City. 29 July 1924.

1928

Sectionhouses are painted Seal Brown with white trim.

Drawing 6966 "Structures - Martin 16'x38' Section House", Utah Railway Co. Engineering Department, Salt Lake City. 13 June 1928.

1930

Coal sheds are painted Seal Brown with white trim.

Drawing 10192 "Sketch Plan of Coal Houses at Martin, Utah," Utah Railway Co. Engineering Department, Salt Lake City. 24 April 1930.

1945

Steel signs are painted white with black lettering. Back and side edges of signboard and the post are painted with a mix of Metallic (mineral brown) and lamp black to make a "very dark brown."

Drawing MW 543 "Roadway Signs - Trespass Warning," Utah Railway Office of Division Engineering, Martin Utah. 10 April 1945.

1950

Steel signs are painted one coat white lead followed by one coat white enamel and are lettered in black. Steel posts are painted red lead followed by one coat black from bottom of post to 6 inches above the ground.

File UI12 Drawing MW 677 "Roadway Signs - Highway Crossing," Utah Railway Co. Office of Division Engineering. 27 January 1950.

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index