New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Paint Information
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index
For 20th century paint information see New York Central Railroad Paint Information
For fast freight cars owned by the NYC&HRR, see Blue Line Fast Freight: Paint Information and Red Line Fast Freight Paint Information
Includes predecessor company “New York Central Railroad”
Locomotives
1880
Stack caps on steam locomotives are painted red.
"Spikes and Ties," The Rocky Mountain News 31 March 1880
Passenger Equipment
1866
Sleeping cars running on the New York to Buffalo train are painted bright red.
The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA), 1 March 1866
1873
Passenger cars are painted bright yellow.
The Troy Daily Times (Troy, NY), 8 August 1873
1880
NYC&HRRR passenger cars painted a “light straw color.”
The National Car Builder, September 1880, pg. 149
1882
William H. Vanderbilt's private car, built in the NYC&HRR shops, is painted yellow with large oil paintings on the sides depicting Grand Central Depot, the Fourth Avenue tunnel, Niagara Falls, the High Bridge and the Suspension Bridge.
Chicago Tribune 5 August 1882
1883
NYC&HRRR passenger coaches painted “something of a straw color known among car builders as the New York Central & Hudson River Standard.” (see Fitchburg Railroad for color samples). Car ornamentation is “artistic and elaborate.”
The National Car Builder, June 1883, pg. 66
Two new dining cars built by Jackson & Sharp are painted "the regulation ochre shade of the road".
Company Scrapbook vol. 7: 1882-1883 p183.
1885
NYC&HRRR passenger cars on the “Flyer” train painted “a peculiar tint somewhat similar to an olive color.”
The Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY), 25 May 1885
The National Car Builder June 1883 p.66
1886
NYC&HRRR passenger cars begin to be painted wine.
St. Albans Daily Messenger and Advertiser (St. Albans, VT), 8 April 1886
1889
NYC&HRRR (and LS&MS) Wagner “state-room” cars painted dark olive green.
The Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, NY), 24 March 1889
1901
NYC&HRRR passenger cars on the “Lake Shore Limited” train painted a “dark green color,” ornamented with gold.
The Evening Journal (Jersey City, NJ), 5 April 1901
Freight Cars
1861
Experimental iron freight cars are painted a "light color."
New York Commercial Advertiser (New York, NY), 27 March 1861
1875
100 NYC&HRR boxcars are repainted for the Hoosac Tunnel through line. They are painted “coffee brown” with white lettering.
American Railroad Journal 17 April 1875 p508.
1876
Boxcars in "Grain Line Transit" service are painted yellow or straw color with black lettering and ironwork.
The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 10 May 1876
Railway World Vol. 20, 1 July 1876
1880
Regular boxcars painted brown with black ironwork and white lettering.
"The Cost of Painting Freight Cars as Affected by their Color," Railroad Gazette, 10 December 1880.
Grain Line Transit boxcars are painted deep yellow or orange with black lettering and ironwork and brown roofs.
The Harrisburg Daily Patriot (Harrisburg, PA), 17 December 1880
"The Cost of Painting Freight Cars as Affected by their Color," Railroad Gazette, 10 December 1880.
“How to avoid delays and accidents,” Clay Cosack & Co. ca.1880, NYC&HRRR advertising lithograph.
1882
Cattle car bodies, roofs and trucks are painted in mineral brown with gloss black ironwork. This is standard among all Vanderbilt Lines.
The National Car Builder, February 1882, pg. 19
1892
Gondolas are painted with Prince's Metallic Brown with white lettering and glossy black iron work including "the heads of bolts and coach screws." Trucks are mineral brown.
The National Car and Locomotive Builder, November 1892, pg. 167
1895
Boxcar trucks are painted black, and all exposed ironwork on the car painted gloss black.
The National Car and Locomotive Builder, May 1895, pg. 68
1896
Some boxcars have large white stars on the sides.
The Daily Morning Journal and Courier, 15 December 1896
1898
NYC&HRR is known for its red freight cars; railroad official Dean Richmond is quoted as saying "You can paint them cars any damned color you like so long as you paint 'em red."
Fairview Enterprise (Fairview, KS), 12 February 1898
Buildings
1884
The newly completed Grand Central Station of New York City is painted "delicate shades" of blue and gray.
Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 21 September 1884