Central Pacific Railroad: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index

Freight Cars

1868

Platform cars painted brown.

Sacramento Bee XXXX 1868

Cabooses

1871

Cabooses painted "the same color as the Company's passenger coaches."

The San Francisco Bulletin (San Francisco, CA), 21 January 1871

1883

Cabooses begin to be painted bright red.

The Kern County Californian (Bakersfield, CA), 10 November 1883

Passenger Equipment

1872

The new director's car was painted yellow with paintings of Yosemite Valley and Lake Tahoe on each side.

The Daily Bee (Sacramento, CA), 27 April 1872

1876

Passenger cars painted bright yellow.

Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, PA), 8 June 1876

1883

Passenger cars repainted from yellow to pale green or dark brown ("Pullman color"), depending on the newspaper. Emigrant cars begin to be painted bright red.

The Silver State (Unionville, NV), 17 October 1883

The Kern County Californian (Bakersfield, CA), 13 October 1883

1884

Alameda and Vicinity.-- The new style of painting passenger coaches on the C. P. is shown on the local cars that have just been through the shop. The body color is an olive green with gold trimmings—a pleasing contrast to the carroty hues that have heretofore prevailed.
Alameda Weekly Argus, February 16, 1884, page 3

Crystal Palace sleeping cars painted "Pullman color, a dark plum" and striped and finished in gold leaf.

The National Car Builder, July 1884 pg. 81.

1886

Silver Palace sleeping cars repainted from yellow to Pullman's dark olive color during rebuilds.

Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA), 9 November 1886

1889

"Tourists' cars" painted a "dull lead color."

The Daily Optic (Las Vegas, NM), 25 February 1889

Other

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index