Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe: Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index

Freight Cars

1876

Cabooses built by the St. Charles Car Company painted red.

The Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, KS), 25 July 1876

1881

Stock cars painted with "Winters Mineral Paint."

The National Car Builder, November 1881, pg. 170

Way cars painted buff [just inside?], lettered in Tuscan red shaded with drab. Battens striped dark grey, deck painted two coats lead and one of engine vermilion. Roof painted with two coats of asbestos paint; platforms and steps given two coats of mineral paint. All outside ironwork, except trucks, painted lampblack.

The National Car Builder, November 1881, pg. 139

1884

Fruit cars painted yellow.

The Denver Tribune (Denver, CO), 7 April 1884

Boxcars and stock cars are painted brown. An unspecified AT&SF fast freight line has boxcars painted yellow.

Tulare Advance Register (Tulare, CA), 7 November 1884

AT&SF Atlantic & Pacific fast freight boxcars bear a large cross of red and green on their doors.

The Topeka Daily Capital (Topeka, KS), 24 September 1884

1886

Refrigerator cars painted a “brilliant yellow with dark green doors.”

The Daily Tombstone (Tombstone, AZ), 13 February 1886

1890

Freight cars repainted to yellow.

The Albuquerque Morning Democrat (Albuquerque, NM), 25 February 1890

1896

Ventilated and refrigerator cars painted white.

1897

Ventilated and refrigerator cars repainted from white to yellow with black lettering and trim.

Topeka State Journal (Topeka, KS), 14 December 1897

New caboose standard of lettering adopted.

The Nickerson Argosy (Nickerson, KS), 25 February 1897

1899

Boxcars are mineral red.

The Globe-Republican (Dodge City, KS), 11 May 1899

Cabooses repainted from yellow to mineral red.

The Globe-Republican (Dodge City, KS), 11 May 1899

The Wellington Journal (Wellington, KS), 1 July 1899

Passenger Equipment

1859

First AT&SF coaches painted yellow.

The Globe-Republican (Dodge City, KS), 15 February 1900 (see 1900 for excerpt)

1879

Baggage cars painted bright yellow and "handsomely ornamented."

The Atchison Daily Patriot (Atchison, KS), 24 January 1879

1881

Baggage car roofs painted with Asbestos paint, trucks painted drab with striping, ceilings "zinc with Demar varnish", and interior walls imitation grained oak.

The National Car Builder, January 1881, pg6

1882

Passenger cars painted light yellow.

The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 27 March 1882

1886

Passenger cars painted Canary color.

The National Car Builder, December 1886, pg155

1890

Passenger cars begin to be repainted from yellow to maroon (Tuscan red).

Mesilla Valley Democrat (Las Cruces, NM), 15 July 1890

1891

Passenger cars painted Tuscan red.

The National Car and Locomotive Builder, June 1891, pg. 84

1900

Passenger cars begin to be painted Pullman brown.

El Paso Daily Herald (El Paso, TX), 9 February 1900

The Globe-Republican (Dodge City, KS), 15 February 1900

The Daily Citizen (Albuquerque, NM), 14 May 1900

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index