Illinois Central Railroad Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index

Locomotives

1872

Locomotive No. 23 has a deep red pilot and is ornately trimmed with brass.

"With Our Wisconsin Division Veterans," Illinois Central Magazine November 1921 p50.

Passenger Equipment

1870

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

The Railroad Gazette, 26 October 1870

1880

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

The Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL), 15 May 1880

1884

W.H. Sharkey recalls that "All coaches were painted yellow."

"Here's A Man Who Strengthens Service," Illinois Central Magazine January 1922 p45.

1890

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

The National Car and Locomotive Builder, May 1890, pg. 78

1892

The boxcar-like rapid-loading passenger cars built for the World's Columbian Exposition were painted the standard passenger car color (yellow). Interiors are painted "light colors," "bright and cheerful."

World's Fair Passenger Car," Railway Age 12 August 1892 p631.

1893

Passenger cars are painted yellow.

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.

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.

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.

"Painting, Striping and Lettering, I.C. Owned Lightweight Cars," The Pullman Company: Chicago, Illinois. 22 November 1950.

"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.

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.

The Morris County Chronicle (Morristown, New Jersey), 5 January 1900.

1914

Repairs made to wood-bodied cars using scrap metal are painted asphaltum (black).

"Reducing Losses from Defective Cars by the Use of Scrap Material," Illinois Central Magazine December 1914 pp101-102.

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.

Maintenance Equipment

1922

Motor cars in charge of section foremen whose crews have a 100% safety record for the previous year are awarded with signs that say "SAFETY FIRST 100%" in white with blue lettering, which are attached to the front of the car over the radiator. This practice was introduced by Division Motorcar Repairman B.J. McAboy at Clinton Illinois a few years previously.

"Would Label Safest Section," Illinois Central Magazine August 1922 p99.

Structures

1858

Right of way milestones are painted white.

Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, Virginia), 1 June 1858.

1898

The interior of the Chicago trainshed and the Randolph Street Viaduct are painted black using Edward Smith & Company's "Durable Metal Coating" paint.

Sabin, A.H. "Painting to Avoid Corrosion." New York: Edward Smith & Co., 1898.

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.

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.

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.

The Sun (New York, New York), 2 August 1914.

The interior woodwork of all woodshops is either whitewashed or painted with a fire-retardant paint.

"Care of Property," Illinois Central Magazine December 1914 p66.

1922

The Air Line Bridge at 16th and Dearbourn in Chicago is painted with Kapak Special Waterproof Paint to protect it from dripping refrigerator car brine.

"Frost Paint & Oil Company," Sweet's Engineering Catalog 1922 p155.

Stripes of white paint 6-8 inches wide and 2-3 feet long are painted on the ground or pavement below the position of the gangway step of a locomotive so as to indicate exactly where a locomotive should stop for taking on water or fuel, and at freight houses and station platforms so that the baggage car can be positioned in line with doors for loading.

Landmarks End Rough Starts and Stops," Illinois Central Magazine February 1922 p73.

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index