Rio Grande Western Railway: Paint Information
Reference / Historic Railroad Paint Color Index
See Denver & Rio Grande: Paint Information
This page includes information for the narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway (1881-1889); its standard gauge successor, the Rio Grande Western Railway (1889-1908); and the narrow gauge Utah Central Railway, a RGW subsidiary that served Park City via Parley's Canyon.
Locomotives
1886
Narrow gauge locomotive number 31 was painted "coal black" and varnished. Lettering was in gold leaf with red drop shadowing.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 14 October 1886
Narrow gauge locomotive number 30, assigned to passenger service, was painted with a red stack and drivers.
"Local Railway Notes," Salt Lake Daily Tribune 23 October 1886
1889
Locomotives 111 through 153 are delivered painted black with no striping; lettering was in "Lemon Yellow." Boiler jackets and bands were planished iron.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 15 p 156, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University (note this locomotive actually falls on page 103 of the digitized document)
1891
The stacks on Rio Grande Western 51 and 35 were painted red (51 was noted to be painted this way in honor of William Jackson Palmer's special inspection train, so this may have been a temporary appearance. In 1886, the Salt Lake Daily Tribune proposed that stacks be painted vermillon to match the drop shadowing on the lettering.)
The Salt Lake Tribune noted that the drivers on 51 were not painted red, but "ought to be painted red to correspond," referring to the practice applied to narrow gauge engines previously.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 January 1891
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 30 January 1891
Article 8 of the agreement between the Rio Grande Western and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen reads "The company will furnish a man to clean all flues, fire and ash pans at terminal points, but firemen will keep their front ends and stacks well painted, and their engines in good order."
"The Agreement Reached," Salt Lake Herald-Republican 5 March 1891
Locomotives 61 through 66 are delivered in Baldwin style 202 black with gold leaf lettering but no striping on the tender, cylinders or wheels. The boiler jacket and bands are planished iron.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 17 pp 234-235, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University (note this locomotive actually falls on page 160 of the digitized document)
1894
Red paint on stack caps and smokebox number plates is discontinued by Director of Motive Power Lamplugh, who believed that "too frequent use of the color impairs its value as a signal."
Salt Lake Tribune 26 September 1894
1895
A new narrow gauge steam locomotive purchased for the Utah Central Railway is painted in Baldwin Style 154, black with gold lettering and striping. Boiler jacket was planished iron.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol20 p41, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University (note this locomotive actually falls on page 44 of the digitized document)
1897
Locomotives 70 through 73 are delivered in Baldwin style 310 black with gold leaf lettering and striping. The boiler jacket and bands are planished iron.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 21 p 126-127, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
Locomotives 200 through 203 are described in the specification sheets as being delivered in black with gold leaf lettering and style 310 striping on the cab only. Boiler jacket, cylinder jacket and steam chest are planished iron. The channels of the rods are painted. However, Baldwin's builder photograph shows that at least 203 was actually fully striped on the tenders and domes as well as the cab.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 21 p 146-147, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
1900
Locomotives 700 through 704 are delivered in black with no striping and aluminum leaf lettering. The boiler and bands are planished iron.
Baldwin Locomotive Works engine specifications, 1869-1938 vol 23 p 255, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
1906
Freight locomotives are lettered in aluminum leaf, except for "KEEP OFF" stencils which are painted in white lead.
Lettering Freight Locomotives Rio Grande Western Railway, 8 May 1906. Denver Public Library Collection.
Freight Cars
1886
Narrow gauge freight cars are painted the same as D&RG cars but with "Western" lettered after the "D&RG."
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 27 August 1886
1889
Standard gauge freight cars followed the D&RG painting standards of Prince's Metallic Brown with white lettering and black ironwork.
Cabooses followed the D&RG painting standards of "brilliant red" bodies, imitation gold lettering, Prince's Metallic floors and Tuscan Red window sashes.
Passenger Equipment
1886
Narrow gauge excursion cars built for Lake Park Resort service are painted Tuscan red.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 July 1886
1888
Narrow gauge Pullman sleeper and buffet cars in D&RG and D&RGW service are painted red.
"Personal and General," The Rocky Mountain News 27 August 1889
1890
New standard gauge passenger cars built by St. Charles Car Company are painted "standard dark red" according to D&RG specifications. The interiors are finished mahogany.
"Notes on the Rio Grande Western," Railroad Gazette 10 January 1890 p22
1891
Standard gauge Business Car "Nomad" (not to be confused with the narrow gauge business car of the same name on the D&RG) has seats upholstered in blue and gray.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 3 February 1891
1895
The Passenger Department adopts the "diamond logo" in place of the D&RG-style "button herald." While newspapers made note of freight cars, there is no evidence that the diamond logo was ever used on rolling stock.
"New Trade-Mark," Salt Lake Tribune, 12 September 1895.
1898
Passenger cars followed the D&RG painting standard of Tuscan Red bodies with black ironwork.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 21 March 1899
1899
Business car "Nomad" is repainted to Tuscan Red at the Salt Lake shops. The language of the report implies that the car was not red previously, but does not elaborate.
'Salt Lake Tribune, 31 March 1899
The Rio Grande Western adopted Oregon Short Line's painting standard of Van Dyke Brown bodies with black ironwork and gold leaf lettering and striping. The reasoning is that it will hide dirt and blend in with Pullman cars.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 21, 1899
"The standard color, Tuscan red, now used for Rio Grande Western passenger equipment, will be succeeded by the Van Dyke brown. Vice-President and General Manager D. C. Dodge made the statement yesterday,... This change the result of Dodge seeing the chair cars for the Chicago-Portland Special and liking their appearance..."
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 25, 1899
"The 'Colorado - Utah Line' legend is to go on all RGW cars as they are repainted in brown with gold lettering. Mail and express car no. 3 is the first car so done; it has 'Wells, Fargo & Co.' and 'Express,' curved, in the space between doors on the sides, with 'Baggage' at one end, and 'U. S. Mail' at the other."
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 15, 1899
"The RGW plans to repaint all passenger equipment to 'Colorado - Utah Line' light brown scheme. Colorado - Utah Line cars are now used on trains 9 and 10."
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 23, 1899
1908
Rio Grande Western cars repainted to match D&RG standards but keeping "RGW" reporting marks. They are painted "Pullman Color" (dark olive green) with crown moldings black and gold leaf lettering. Roof was Prince's Mineral Brown. Steps are body color. Signal hoses and gas valve caps painted vermilion.
Denver & Rio Grande instructions for painting Rio Grande Western passenger cars, Denver Public Library Collection
Buildings
1889
The Salt Lake City depot was painted green.
Salt Lake Herald, 21 December 1889
1891
The railroad's telegraph poles at the Springville depot were painted red, white and blue to honor a visit by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison. This was done only for the event and was not a railroad standard, so it is unknown how long they lasted in this appearance.