Canadian Pacific Railway Paint Information
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index
Steam Locomotives
1896
Canadian Pacific locomotives are painted drop black in the following manner:
- Primed with one coat lead colour mixed half and half with turpentine.
- One coat mix of keg lead, japan black, and turpentine
- Two coats drop black
- Two coats varnish
Tender trucks painted Locomotive Black.
Interior of cab painted one coat lead colour, two coats Tuscan Red in Japan, and one coat varnish.
Roof is canvas painted with four coats Metallic brown in oil, the last coat mixed liberally with sand.
The frame and firebox are primed with one coat very dark lead colour and one coat of black engine finish.
The smokebox and firebox inside the cab are painted while hot with one coat of linseed oil mixed with a small amount of lampblack.
"Mr. Jones' Paper," Railroad Car Journal Vol.VI No.10 October 1896 p247.
Passenger Equipment
1893
A new transcontinental passenger train is composed of cars finished in varnished mahogany on the exterior. The Railroad Car Journal criticized this by saying "its effect from close by is good, but from a distance the color is of a dirty brown. It is difficult, therefore, to see what benefit is derived from the use of this costly wood, and the omission of paint is hardly likely to prove an economy."
Railroad Car Journal December 1893