Philadelphia Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Paint Information
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Philadelphia Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad TOC
Freight Cars
1861
Harlan & Hollingsworth drawing of a PW&B boxcar shows a “pale yellow body, tan roof {canvas coated with sand?}, black hardware, and red wheels.”
Harlan & Hollingsworth “Freight Cars for Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail Road” drawing (at Smithsonian?), from White, The American Railroad Freight Car, 1993, pg. 184. A black and white image of this drawing (from Smithsonian copy-negative 81-8117) is printed on pg. 180.
1874
“Maryland & Delaware” freight express cars painted a “brownish color,” with “Maryland & Delaware” lettered in red and white. Painted on the car sides is also a “red diamond,” denoting the cars’ “exclusive use for this line.”
Wilmington Daily Commercial (Wilmington, DE), 23 September 1874
Passenger Cars
1869
PW&B day cars painted a “rich glossy buff.”
Wilmington Daily Commercial (Wilmington, DE), 8 July 1869
PW&B “palace” cars painted light yellow, relieved by the “bright hues of the lettering.”
American Railroad Journal, 18 September 1869
1880
PW&B “light” passenger cars painted light yellow, highly ornamented with gold.
The Daily Gazette (Wilmington, DE), 14 July 1880
1882
PW&B passenger cars start to be painted the “established color of the Pennsylvania R.R.” (Tuscan red).
The Daily Gazette (Wilmington, DE), 13 February 1882
PW&B baggage car painted red with gold lettering.
The Morning Herald (Baltimore, MD), 29 March 1882
1898
PW&B Pullman coaches painted red up to the belt rail and green above the belt rail. Ornamented with gold leaf.
The Morning News (Wilmington, DE), 3 May 1898
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index / Philadelphia Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad