Pennsylvania Railroad: Paint Information

Locomotives

1895

Steam locomotive jackets of Russia or Planished iron, once weathered to poor condition, are painted an imitation Russia Iron color.

The formula we used for some years in treating a jacket when in this condition was about the same as the one reported by Mr. Josenbans in his advance paper, namely, keg lead, lampblack, and Prussia Blue, mixed with four parts of rubbing varnish, two parts of turpentine and one part of C.M. japan. We applied two coats of this mixture and one coat of rubbing varnish. This gave us a color in imitation of Russian iron. -Respectfully submitted, C.W. Mason, Pennsylvania Railroad.

"Mr. Mason's Paper," Railroad Car Journal Vol.VI No.10 October 1896 p245.

W.J. Josenhans' recipe was 13 pounds keg lead, 3/4 gallon coach japan, 1/2 gallon rubbing varnish, 1/4 gallon turpentine, 1 pound lamp black and 1/4 pound Prussian blue.

Painting Locomotive Jackets," Railroad Car Journal Vol.VI No.8 August 1896 p201.

1896

Steam Locomotives are painted dark Brunswick green.

"It is now our practice to paint all jackets, the standard color of our locomotives, which is a dark Brunswick Green, and we think it an improvement in the appearance of the locomotive."

Steam Locomotive boiler jackets of planished or Russian iron, once weathered to poor condition, are painted dark green instead of the former imitation Russia Iron color.

"Our present method for painting planished or Russian iron jackets, when in the condition referred to, is as follows: 1. Coat of primer. 2. Coat of dark green locomotive finish. 3. Coat of rubbing varnish." -C.W. Mason, Pennsylvania Railroad.

"Mr. Mason's Paper," Railroad Car Journal Vol.VI No.10 October 1896 p245.

In 1896 the Pennsylvania Railroad performed an experiment by issuing differing painting standards to ten locomotive shops on their system. They did not identify the shops by name.

• Shop No.8 was issued the most expensive standard, painting both freight and passenger locomotives identically with elaborate striping except that passenger locomotives were lettered in gold leaf and freight locomotives lettered in imitation gold (yellow paint).

• Shop No.9 was issued the cheapest standard. Passenger locomotives were "plainly, but neatly" striped and lettered with gold leaf on the tender cistern but no striping on the tender frame, trucks or pilot wheels. Freight locomotives were not striped at all and lettered in imitation gold (yellow paint.)

"Mr. Little's Paper," Railroad Car Journal Vol.VI No.10 October 1896 pp247-248.

Freight Cars

1852

Blake's Patent Ohio Fire-Proof Paint used by the railroad since 1848.

The American Railroad Journal, 11 February 1854, p96.

1874

“Maryland & Delaware” freight express cars painted a “brownish color,” with “Maryland & Delaware” lettered in red and white. Painted on the car sides is also a “red diamond,” denoting the cars’ “exclusive use for this line.”

Wilmington Daily Commercial (Wilmington, DE), 23 September 1874

1875

Thirty PRR boxcars and sixty coal cars are repainted for the Hoosac Tunnel through line. They are painted “coffee brown” with white lettering.

American Railroad Journal 17 April 1875 p508.

1888

Third draft of official paint specifications gives the freight car color recipe as paint pigment 50% sesquioxide of iron (Fe2O3, red iron oxide), 45% hydrated gypsum (as a binder), and 5% carbonate of lime (calcium carbonate; to facilitate drying).

The Railroad and Engineering Journal, May 1891, p224.

1890

Coal cars painted jet black.

The Southern Herald, 14 March 1890

1891

Boxcars painted "regulation dark red," with some new boxcars painted yellow.

Harrisburg Telegraph, 8 December 1891

Cabin cars (cabooses) are painted scarlet lead chromate (Chrome Red or American Vermilion)

The Railroad and Engineering Journal, May 1891, p222.

1896

Union Line cars have a logo with a white background and red star (see lettering diagram below).

Anchor Line cars have an anchor logo painted white and outlined on the sides.

The Daily Morning Journal and Courier, 15 December 1896

1903

Cabin cars (cabooses) are painted an experimental red that is "richer and deeper" than the scarlet lead chromate.

The Evening Journal (Wilmington, DE), 9 June 1903

Union Line

Union Line lettering diagram detail showing the herald. Source Unknown.

Passenger Cars

1858

PRR emigrant cars are painted green.

The Daily Pennsylvanian (Philadelphia, PA), 20 May 1858

1866

Passenger cars painted "a beautiful red color."

The Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA), 20 April 1866

The director's car is painted lake red with the coat of arms of Pennsylvania on the sides rendered with "bright colors of gold, red and blue."

The Daily Patriot and Union (Harrisburg, PA), 24 January 1866

1872

PRR begins painting its passenger cars dark red to counter the effects of bituminous coal smoke blackening lighter colored cars.

The Trenton State Gazette (Trenton, NJ), 29 May 1872

1876

Postal cars are painted white.

The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 8 February 1876

1880

Passenger cars painted Tuscan Red, described as a "rich maroon color." Ornamentation and lettering was done in gold with black outlines. The cars are largely "devoid of either ornament or stripe."

The National Car Builder, May 1880, pg. 73 The National Car Builder, August 1880, pg. 142

New passenger cars built at the Altoona shops for New York Division service are painted rich maroon. The interiors are finished in light oak colors decorated in the Queen Anne style. Seats are upholstered in blue in half of the cars and green in the other half.

American Railroad Journal 21 May 1880 pg. 562

1881

New summer observation cars were painted "light stone color."

The Latrobe Advance (Latrobe, PA), 15 June 1881

1883

Postal cars are painted white.

The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, IN), 25 April 1883

1885

Postal cars painted yellow with a large American eagle emblem on the sides.

The Crawford County Forum (Bucyrus, OH), 6 August 1886

1886

Postal cars painted the standard passenger car color, Tuscan red. A monogram replaced the eagle herald.

The Crawford County Forum (Bucyrus, OH), 6 August 1886

1888

Parlor cars painted brown.

The New York Tribune (New York, NY), 26 August 1888

? to 1889

Postal cars are painted yellow with a large American eagle emblem on the sides.

The Crawford County Forum (Bucyrys, OH), 6 August 1886

1889

Postal cars are repainted Tuscan red with a monogram in place of the eagle emblem.

The Crawford County Forum (Bucyrys, OH), 6 August 1889

1890

Passenger car paint specification adopted as Tuscan red paint pigment: 80% sesquioxide of iron (Fe2O3, red iron oxide), 15% “organic coloring matter,” and 5% carbonate of lime (calcium carbonate; to facilitate drying).

The Railroad and Engineering Journal, May 1891, p251.

1891

Tuscan Red paint recipe given as Indian Red pigment brightened with "organic coloring matter" (chatemuc or wood lake).

The Railroad and Engineering Journal, May 1891, p252.

Pullman cars on the PRR are painted Tuscan Red.

The Richmond Item (Richmond, IN), 4 September 1891

1893

All passenger cars on the PRR and its leased lines are painted red.

The Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, PA), 24 February 1893

1897

Passenger cars used on U.S. President William McKinley's inauguration train were painted Venetian Red. The locomotive was also painted red for the occasion.

The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 25 February 1897

1897

Sleeping cars built by Pullman for the Pennsylvania Limited are painted cream above the belt rail and bottle green below the belt rail with gold leaf ornamentation. The belt rail itself is Roman Gold. The roofs are black and the trucks are painted bold red and bottle green.

"A Sumptuous Train," The Pittsburg Bulletin, 13 November 1897.

1898

A new limited train between New York and Chicago is instituted. Cars painted dark green ornamented with a Greek border in gold leaf below the belt rail. Above the belt rail, including the letter boards and corner posts, is painted cream, ornamented with gold leaf and “topped with a narrow line of green.” Window frams of Mahogany.

Locomotive Engineering, February 1898 New York Daily Tribune (New York, NY), 14 January 1898

Cars for the Congressional Limited train between Washington, D.C. and New York City were painted the "national colors" (red, white and blue).

The Akron Beacon (Akron, OH), 10 May 1898

1901

Parlor cars built by Pullman for Philadelphia to New York service are painted Tuscan with gold leaf lettering.

Railway Age, 2 August 1901

Road and Non-Rail Equipment

1928

Commercial trucks are painted "Passenger Car Color" (PRR Tuscan) on the body, "Passenger Car Truck Color" (Green) on the underframe and lettered in Yellow. Fenders may be either black or tuscan. "Pennsylvania Railroad" is painted on the bed and the home shop or station name on the cab door and maximum loaded weight on the frame below the cab.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Commercial Trucks Lettering & Painting, Drawing 86923, Altoona PA 22 November 1928.

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index