Denver & Rio Grande: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index

See Rio Grande Western Railway: Paint Information

General

The 1879 Material Inventory lists the following paints stocked at the Denver shops:

• Burnt Umber

• Raw Sienna

• Western Red

• Silver White

• Ivory Black

• Indian Red

• Orange Chrome Yellow

• Scarlet Lake

• Van Dyke Brown

• Rose Lake

• Raw Turkey Umber

• Burnt Sienna

• Prussian Blue

• Golden Ochre

• Tuscan Red

• Dry Burnt Umber

• Dry Raw Sienna

• Dry English Vermillon

• Lamp Black

• Raw Umber

• Chrome Yellow

• Dry Ultramarine Blue

• White Lead in oil

• Dry Red Lead

• Coach Green

• Shellacc

• Chicago Hard Body Drying Varnish

• "Standard Varnish"

• Valentine Medium Coats Finishing Varnish

• Elastic Carriage Varnish

• Japan

• Asphaltum (black paint)

• Venetian Red

• Iron Clad Mineral (brown)

• Dry Rose Pink

• Dry Tuscan Red

• Yellow Ochre

• Black Diamond Paint

Inventory of Tools, Material, Equipment & Other Property of Denver & Rio Grande Railway Trasnferred to Receiver, Aug. 14, 1879 by Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Original ledger number 66 from the collection of Jason Sanford.

Locomotives

1880

Locomotives 47 through 72, 74 through 87, 90, 97, 98, and 102 through 106 are delivered in Baldwin Style 98 painted Olive Green, including the cab, with color (imitation gold) striping and lettering. The boiler jackets are American iron with brass bands.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 10 p 46, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Class 60N (later C-16) locomotives, Baldwin class 10-24 1/2 E, are delivered in Style 103, black and color. Body color is black, main striping and lettering are in imitation gold (yellow) with red pinstriping.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 10 p 197, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1881

Locomotives 150 through 165 are delivered in Baldwin Style 69 painted black with Color (imitation gold) lettering and stripes. The boiler jackets and bands are American Iron. Steam and check piping is called out as copper.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 10 p 239, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 11 p 23, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Locomotives 412 through 416 are delivered in Baldwin style 103 painted black with Color (imitation gold) lettering and stripes. The boiler jackets and bands are American Iron. Steam and check piping is called out as copper.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 11 p 22, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1882

Locomotives 166 through 177 are delivered in Baldwin Style 125 painted black with Color (imitation gold) lettering and stripes. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron. Steam and check piping is called out as copper.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 11 pp 165, 261, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1886

Locomotives 507 through 511 are delivered in Baldwin Style 198 painted black with gold leaf lettering and stripes on the locomotive but no stripes on the tender. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron.

Locomotives 555 through 574 are delivered painted black with no striping. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 14 p 42-43, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1889

Locomotives 575 through 581 are delivered painted black with no striping. The lettering is "Lemon Yellow." The boiler jacket and bands are planished iron.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 15 p 206, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Locomotives 512 through 514 are delivered in Baldwin Style 198 black with gold leaf lettering and stripes on the cab but not the tender, cylinders or wheels. The boiler jacket and bands are planished iron.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 15 p 209, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1890

Locomotives 515 through 538 are delivered in Baldwin Style 198 painted black with gold leaf lettering and stripes. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron.

Locomotives 582 through 629 and 805 through 826 are delivered painted black with no striping. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 16 p 108-110, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1903

Standard gauge steam locomotives lettered in aluminum leaf on the cab, domes and tender sides. Rear of switch engine tenders and road engine tenders with rear-mounted air tanks and toolboxes lettered in white lead. All small lettering such as "KEEP OFF," tender capacity, and repair/maintenance dates is in white lead.

D.&R.G. Standard Painting and Lettering - Standard Gauge Locomotives, 1903

Narrow gauge locomotives 450-464 are delivered in Baldwin Style 261 painted black with gold leaf striping and lettering. The boiler jackets and bands are planished iron. The eccentric rods and straps are painted bright red.

Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 25 p 217, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

1912

Baldwin builder specifications for the 280S-class (K-59) standard gauge 2-8-2s indicate that the locomotives were painted black with no striping. Lettering was "Sherwin-Williams Co. D&RG Standard Loco. Lettering Color i.e. orange".

Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification Sheet, D&RGW 1200-1213; D&RG Print Sheet 642 drawer 7

Standard gauge K-59 class steam locomotives number 1200 through 1213 are lettered in "Sherwin-Williams Co. D&RG Standard Loco. Lettering Color." Headlight number plates in black glass with clear numbers. "KEEP OFF" stencils are in white lead.

Lettering Freight Locomotives Class, D&RG. July 1912. Denver Public Library Collection.

1908-1916

Engineer Arthur "Art" Campbell, assigned to D&RG 768, carried "Plumbago" paint on the locomotive to paint the smokebox and stack with every time the train ran on time. Mr. Campbell's fireman described the color as silver that "would shine fit to knock your eye out." Note this was not standard and only applies to number 768.

Gould, William John Gilbert. "My Life on the Mountain Railroads." Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1995.

1913

Standard gauge 262/261S (P-44) Class steam locomotives were painted black with no striping and lettered with "Sherwin-Williams Co. D&RG Standard Loco. Lettering Color" (orange).

Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification Sheet, D&RGW 1001-1006; D&RG Print Sheet 642 drawer 7

1924

A telegram sent to the Rio Grande Southern from the D&RGW offices reads as follows:

"TELEGRAM—THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD SYSTEM - 1/20/24. RRBZ. If the yellow locomotive lettering paint comes, which I wired ADB to send you, have Randow use it on re-lettering the D&RGW engines coming from Montrose. If it doesn’t come, go ahead and use what you have. RCM."

1926

A letter addressed to shop foremen at Alamosa Colorado lists the following paints for narrow gauge locomotives:

"Alamosa, Colorado - January 23 1926 - Following is a list of paints and what they are used for furnished by my painter foreman and I want you to specify from this list the paints that you order in the future: 1. Stay-Brite for front ends. 2. Long's Black Paint for headlights, hand rails, domes, and exterior of cabs and tenders. 3. Russian Black Jacket Enamel for jackets. 4. Cab Green for interior of cabs. 5. Aluminum leaf for lettering cabs and tender. 6. Underpining Black Paint for pilots and all running gear of engines, underneath running board, tender frames, and trucks. 7. White Lead for all stenciling. 8. TOCO Finishing Varnish for varnishing exterior of cabs and tenders... If your requisitions do not show the paint or enamel as described in this list, same will be held up or returned to you for proper description."

Earl Knoob of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad found an original can of Staybrite Front End Paint which he described as "basic metallic medium gray."

1937

D&RGW Standard Practice outlines that locomotives are to be painted with Staybrite Front End Paint on the smokebox and firebox, Locomotive Black Enamel on cylinders, pilots, and running gear, "Jacket Enamel (Dark Olive Green)" on the boiler jacket, Black Duco on the cab exterior and tender, aluminum paint on the cylinder heads, number plate bead, tire rims, and edge of running board, and "Cab Green, Medium" on the cab interior.

D&RGWRR Standard Practice: Painting Locomotives and Tenders, 1 November 1937.

The subject of Jacket Enamel (Dark Olive Green) is highly controversial in D&RGW history circles; very few locomotives apparently actually received it, with most being on the standard gauge portions of the company.

1951

ALCO PA-1 A unit noses are painted "Non-Skid Flat Green."

D&RGWRR Locomotive Painting: PA-1, Superseding all drawings prior to 9 July 1951.

Freight Cars

1871

Cabooses painted "Brilliant Red" with black ironwork. Floors, platforms and steps painted Prince's Mineral Brown. Window sashes painted Tuscan Red. Lettering was done in imitation gold (yellow).

Colorado Railroad Museum restoration report for D&RG caboose 49

1895

A side-door standard gauge caboose painted yellow with dark lettering is depicted in the Car-Builder's Dictionary.

1896

Ironwork painted Hanion Bros. & Co. "Anti-Rust" or "Antoxide" paint (black).

Railroad Car Journal, August 1896

1904

AC&F built 5500 series narrow gauge stock cars painted Princes Mineral Brown with Asphaltum hardware and trucks.

Four-wheel cabooses painted Permanent Red. Wood roofs are also painted Permanent Red; tin roofs are painted Princes' Metallic Brown. Floor, platforms, and running board painted Prince's Mineral Brown. Interior walls painted light green. Ceilings painted Light Blue. Window sashes Tuscan Red. Ironwork is black. Lettered in white lead.

Standard Lettering and Instructions, Narrow Gauge 4-Wheel Caboose, Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Card 3023 File C-373, Approved 18 May 1904.

Interiors of four-wheel cabooses painted Pea Green with black trim.

"Denver & Rio Grande: Cabooses No. 0513 to 0567 Incl.," Folio drawing 1904.

1907

Standard gauge boxcars painted Prince's Metallic Brown on roof and body. Roofwalks are unpainted. Trucks and ironwork in black metallic. Lettering in white lead.

Lettering Box D&RG. 20 April 1907. Denver Public Library Collection.

1908

31000-series standard gauge refrigerator cars painted Acme Chrome Yellow Refrigerator Color on sides, Princes' Metallic Brown on ends and roof, with black lettering.

Lettering Refrigerator Car D&RG. 1908. Denver Public Library Collection.

1912

The interiors of standard gauge construction cars are painted "light green."

Denver & Rio Grande System: Construction Car 0776, Standard Gauge. Folio Sheet.

1916

Cabooses repainted from "Brilliant Red" to Prince's Mineral Brown.

"Denver & Rio Grande Railway Burnham, May 24, 1916 - Gentleman: Effective on receipt of these instructions, we will discontinue the use of brilliant red on caboose cars and paint such cars the same as other freight equipment. Acknowledge receipt and advise if understood. Respectfully, J. F. Enright"

1920

Freight Car Red introduced. Exact date of switch from Prince's Mineral is currently unknown.

Jackson Thode identified D&RGW Freight Car Red as Kohler-McLister KM-91 Box Car Red.

1937

Stock Cars switch from Freight Car Red to Black.

Telegram from Alamosa to train masters in Durango, Gunnison and Montrose instructing them to not load any red stock cars in their territory, but to send them to Alamosa to be painted black.

1939

Standard gauge maintenance bunk cars 63500 through 64199 are painted gray with black trucks, aluminum roofs and cream interiors.

"Denver & Rio Grande Western R.R. Co. Standard Plan: Std. Gage Sleeper Car for B&B, Fence, Paint, Signal, Etc. Gangs." 1 August 1939.''

Passenger Equipment

1871

Narrow-gauge passenger cars painted a “brown or cinnamon color,” relieved with gilt.

The St. Joseph Weekly Gazette (St. Joseph, MO), 17 August 1871

Passenger cars build by Jackson & Sharp are painted "rich dark green" on the interior with gold leaf relief and woodwork in walnut and Hungarian ash.

American Railroad Journal 22 July 1871 p817.

1876

Passenger cars "El Moro" and "La Veta," built by Billmeyer & Smalls, are painted in a "finely toned wine color" with yellow striping. The Buntin Patent seats are upholstered in crimson and green plush velvet with silver plated armrests. Metal wall fixtures are likewise silver plated. Interior woodwork is black walnut, bird's eye maple and cherry mouldings with gold leaf trim.

It is noted that the Billmeyer & Smalls artists that painted these cars are called Messrs. Watt.

American Railroad Journal 26 August 1876 p1080.

1878

Parlor cars painted “chocolate color,” striped and ornamented in gold.

The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 21 June 1878

1888

Pullman sleeper and buffet cars in D&RG and D&RGW service are painted red.

"Personal and General," The Rocky Mountain News 27 August 1889

New standard gauge passenger equipment built at the Burnham shops and by Pullman are painted red with gold leaf trim.

"The Standard Gauge," The Rocky Mountain News 14 March 1888.

1889

The Pullman sleepers and buffet cars in D&RG and D&RGW service are repainted to "olive" with gold leaf lettering during rebuilds at Burnham.

"Personal and General," The Rocky Mountain News 27 August 1889

1890

Standard gauge passenger cars are painted Tuscan red with gold leaf lettering and striping. The lettering is drop shadowed in two-tone "light color" (likely the light blue found on Pay Car F, former chair car 25 at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad). Corner and door posts are painted black with gold pinstriping. Roof chamfer is black.

"Lettering and Stripes for Standard Gauge Baggage & Express Cars," D&RG card 3685 C-373, 5 April 1890, Denver Public Library Collection

1904

Standard gauge passenger cars painted with Sherwin Williams Pullman Color (New) (Pullman olive green). Narrow gauge cars continue to be painted Tuscan Red.

1908

Standard gauge passenger cars painted in Pullman color. Chamfers, crown mouldings, window nosings, door sills and ironwork all painted black. Lettered in gold leaf. Roof painted Prince's Metallic Brown. Window sashes finished mahogany. Trucks painted "Pullman Shade" and striped with yellow. Signal hose and gas valve painted Vermilion.

Baggage compartment interiors painted light green on the walls, Prince's Mineral Brown on the floors, and white on the ceiling.

Denver & Rio Grande painting instructions, 1908, Denver Public Library Collection

1912

Gold striping on narrow gauge passenger cars is discontinued. Imitation gold lettering is replaced with real gold leaf, since leaf lasted longer than paint.

Letter from J.F. Enright, 22 October 1912, quoted in Chappell, Gordon, Narrow Gauge over Cumbres, New Mexico Geological Society: 1971.

1918

Narrow gauge passenger cars painted standard Pullman Green instead of tuscan red as a cost saving measure.

"September 6 1918 - We have in the past, painted our narrow gauge equipment a Tuscan red, but as economy will result from the use of the Pullman color, as we figure about 3 months longer service and $1.25 per car less cost for material, wish you would arrange hereafter as narrow gauge equipment passes through the shop, to adopt the Pullman color as our standard. -W.W. Leman."

Buildings

1881

Lineside buildings were painted oxide brown (Prince's Metallic).

1890

The roofs of the snowsheds on Marshall Pass are painted with "fireproof paint."

The Tomahawk (Denver, Colorado) 4 September 1890.

1915

Lineside structures repainted to buff (Kolher-McLister 6-C-14 Jersey Cream) siding with brown (Kolher McLister 6-C-47 Brown) trim.

1942

Water columns are painted black on the bases and aluminum "or substitute" the rest of the way up.

"D.&R.G.W.R.R.Co. Standard Painting of Water Columns," 23 January 1942.

1945

Lineside structures repainted to cream siding with light green trim.

Historical Overview of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad: Osier, Colorado, Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad June 2010.

Steel bridges are painted silver.

Painting data, bridge 579.23 near Woodside, Utah

1946

Bridge 570.50 is painted two coats Aluminum paint

1963

Bridges at MP 544.94 and 566.93 Desert Siding are sand blasted, primed with Dupont Zinc Chromate, and painted with Rust-O-Leum Aluminum.

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index