Good Morning All - I am researching the Virginian and all the books I have are black and white but the cabeese seem to be the red ones with "Virginian" labeled in a curved fashion on the center of the caboose. I see Lionel makes a scale Virginian caboose that is blue with yellow straight lettering on the bottom of the caboose. Can I assume anything blue would have been painted after the merger in 1959 with the N&W? Any insight, history on the blue caboose would be appreciated.
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Check with the N&W Historic Society in Roanoke VA the have a lot of the Virginian information and several books on the line. NWHS.ORG.
The blue Lionel paint job is a fantasy. Virginian cabooses were always painted red with the arch lettering. Color pictures can be found by Googling or in the Virginian Railway in Color by Morning Sun Books.
Anything painted after the N&W merger would have been lettered for the N&W per their painting guidelines. "Heritage" type paint jobs didn't exist back then.
Plus, the N&W didn't start painting things blue until 1966, long after the merger with the Virginian.
Rusty
As Rusty stated above. Anything blue Virginian is pure fantasy. Blue did not exist in the VGN paint shop (maybe blue flags are the exception).
George
Lionel painted the Trainmaster (sp?) in blue and yellow. I think many people thing that was the "real" colors the VGN used. Guess they wanted a "matching" caboose.
Lionel 1958 one year only caboose. Don
scale rail posted:Lionel 1958 one year only caboose. Don
There was a blue caboose in the MPC era. I think when they redid the super short electric.
George Lasley posted:As Rusty stated above. Anything blue Virginian is pure fantasy. Blue did not exist in the VGN paint shop (maybe blue flags are the exception).
George
Over the years I have seen a number of pictures of Virginian locomotives that appeared to be a dull dark blue. I have never been certain whether it was an issue with the paint, an issue with the film or a combination of dirt and the light. By the time I got anywhere near southside Virginia most of that was gone. My understanding is the blue/gold color scheme for Virginian originated with production choices for Lionel rather than Virginia practices.
Bill,
You are correct. I suspect it is color shift in the film or in the printing. My understanding is Lionel did it to save a step in painting by using a blue plastic shell.
Bill N posted:George Lasley posted:As Rusty stated above. Anything blue Virginian is pure fantasy. Blue did not exist in the VGN paint shop (maybe blue flags are the exception).
George
Over the years I have seen a number of pictures of Virginian locomotives that appeared to be a dull dark blue. I have never been certain whether it was an issue with the paint, an issue with the film or a combination of dirt and the light. By the time I got anywhere near southside Virginia most of that was gone. My understanding is the blue/gold color scheme for Virginian originated with production choices for Lionel rather than Virginia practices.
It is blue sky reflecting on the black.
Dominic Mazoch posted:scale rail posted:Lionel 1958 one year only caboose. Don
There was a blue caboose in the MPC era. I think when they redid the super short electric.
TMCC era, E-33 freight (coal drag) set #6-11934, caboose # 6437
Made in 1997 .... I climbed up to look 
I like the blue better anyhow 
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