Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad

Locomotives

1875

Locomotives #1 "Grass Valley" and #2 "Nevada" delivered from Baldwin Locomotive Works painted Lake & Gold, Style 1.

1877

Locomotive #3 delivered from Baldwin painted Olive Green & Gold, Style 49. #3 was not given a name but was lettered "Nevada County" on the tender tank.

1899

Locomotives #4 and #5 are purchased second hand from the Carson & Tahoe, Lumber & Fluming Company. They were painted black.

Passenger Cars

1877

One passenger car repainted. The painter called the color Turkish Umber. Daily Grass Valley Union

1879

Annual Directors Report states all passenger cars have been repainted by the end of the year. At this time the NCNG adopts their own version of the Central Pacific Railroad's passenger car paint scheme of yellow with wine letterboard and corner stripes. This scheme remains in use until about 1902.

1916 - 1930

During the years the railroad was controlled by the Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railroad the equipment was painted to their standards. Passenger cars were painted olive green with yellow lettering, black roof and bright green trucks. Sacramento Northern #1005 at Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, California is restored to this scheme.

Freight Cars

1875 - 1879

Freight cars possibly painted tuscan red. Lettering during these years was in a straight line.

1880 - 1902

Unknown color. Lettering changes to a large arch on the side of the car in script/roman lettering.

1920 - 1942

Master Mechanic Johnny Nolan recounted the railroad simply went to the local hardware store and purchased "barn red" paint for freight cars.

1932 - 1942

A number of cars were purchased second hand from the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge. Most of these cars were never fully repainted on the NCNG, they retained SP paint with the words Southern Pacific and the car number painted over with a different color. This was likely the "barn red" used by the NCNG for freight cars.

Bibliography

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad