Fitchburg Railroad Paint Information

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Fitchburg Railroad TOC

Freight Cars

1875

Fitchburg through line cars built by Laconia are painted “coffee brown” and lettered in white for “Hoosac Tunnel Line - Fitchburg Railroad - No Transhipment between New England and the West.”

American Railroad Journal, 17 April 1875, p508

1878

Fitchburg boxcars painted light green. This excerpt is possibly referring to Fitchburg grain cars.

The Worcester Daily Spy (Worcester, MA), 30 July 1878

1881

Fitchburg constructed butter cars painted stone with a bright red stripe extending around the cars at the base of their sheathing. The cars’ corners were painted red, fascia-boards painted blue, and lettered in black with green shade. The lettering on the cars possibly included the place names “North Adams,” “Shelburne Falls,” “Greenfield,” and “West Acton.”

The Fitchburg Sentinel, 31 March 1881

1889

“Old-fashioned” Fitchburg grain boxcar painted green.

The Pratt Republican (Pratt, KS), 19 December 1889

Note: Sechrist’s Hand-Book and Railway Equipment and Mileage Guide, June 1885 lists “Green Grain” cars for the Fitchburg Railroad.

1890

Fitchburg platform cars painted slate.

The New Hampshire Sentinel (Keene, NH), 12 November 1890

1891

Reportedly using Prince’s Metallic on freight cars.

The rusting of iron and steel: how it may be prevented and how it is promoted, 1895

1896

An observer notes that Fitchburg cars were usually yellow (likely referring to older boxcars).

The Daily Morning Journal and Courier, 15 December 1896

Passenger Cars

1882

Fitchburg passenger cars painted yellow, with the exterior of the cars being “plain.”

The Boston Evening Transcript (Boston, MA), 24 July 1882

Fitchburg passenger coaches painted straw, “with but little ornamentation.”

The National Car Builder, September 1882, pg. 101

1884

Fitchburg passenger cars painted dark olive green, the new standard colour for all cars of the company.

The Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, MA), 5 February 1884

Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Fitchburg Railroad