Denver & Rio Grande: Paint Information
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index
See Rio Grande Western Railway: Paint Information
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
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
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."
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.
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.
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.
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
1878
Parlor cars painted “chocolate color,” striped and ornamented in gold.
The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 21 June 1878
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).
1915
Lineside structures repainted to buff (Kolher-McLister 6-C-14 Jersey Cream) siding with brown (Kolher McLister 6-C-47 Brown) trim.
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.
