RIO Grande Steam locomotive paint colors in 1940s and 1950s

VintageClassicsOGR Forum Member

I've been looking for information related to RIO GRANDE steam locomotive colors in the 1940s and 1950s, and found some interesting information from Model Railroader Magazine, September 1944 edition.

On page #391 it states:

Steam Locomotives

Cab exterior, black Duco.
Cab interior, medium green.
Cylinders, pilots, running gear, black enamel
Smoke box. fire box, front-end paint
Boiler and cylinder jackets, dark olive green enamel.
Lettering, tire rims. edge of running board, aluminum paint.
Tender, black Duco.

Diesel Electric Locomotives

Exterior black Dulux.
Exterior lettering and striping, gold Dulux.
Cab interior, engine room. oil engines and accessories. suede-gray Dulux.
Interior lettering, black paint: high voltage warning bright red paint

Passenger Equipment

Roof, underframe, underneath equipment. black Duco.
Body, vestibules, trucks, olive green Duco.
Lettering, yellow paint.

Freight Equipment

Body, roof, trucks, box and auto cars, freight car red.
Body, roof, trucks. stock and coal cars, black.
Lettering, white paint.

Work Equipment

Sides and ends, gray paint.
Roof, Aluminum paint
Trucks, underneath equipment, handholds, black paint.
Lettering, black paint.

So with this knowledge, RIO Grande steam locomotives BOILERS were still being painted Green up till the end of 1944...

Any help or more info on the colors of the engines is greatly appreciated. .. I'm trying to research mainly which of the L-105s engines retained their Green Boilers

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2/21/194:53 PM

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Dave FunkOGR Forum Member

From my research on the NG DRGW locos it was hit or miss on the green boilers as not every loco got one.

I used to try to find a dated photo of loco in question, it is challenging as sometimes you had to decide base on

B & W photos. You could spot color differences provided loco wasn't too dirty!

I personally took the green ones as the exception , that and they faded to an (unpleasant to my eye) shade of green

Good luck on the research.

Dave

2/21/197:02 PM

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VintageClassicsOGR Forum Member

Dave Funk posted:
From my research on the NG DRGW locos it was hit or miss on the green boilers as not every loco got one.
I used to try to find a dated photo of loco in question, it is challenging as sometimes you had to decide base on
B & W photos. You could spot color differences provided loco wasn't too dirty!
I personally took the green ones as the exception , that and they faded to an (unpleasant to my eye) shade of green
Good luck on the research.
Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks! It's great to get some insights on the green boiler timeframe on certain engines.

I have been looking at some black and white photos and came up with a few candidates I believe may have retained their green boilers into the late 1940s.

Below is 3703 in the late 40s, appearing to have a lighter shade boiler. I'm wondering if this particular engine had the green boiler in the late 40s?

Likewise, here is #3705 with what appears to be a lighter shade boiler. Could this one also be the green boiler? It appears it may be indeed...

Also, here is the #3710, first of the 2nd Batch of L-105s, being delivered in 1942. This appears to have a pale green boiler as well. Look at the differences of black tones of the cab and tender vs the lighter, more pale color of the boiler...

Looks like a green boiler to me... What do you think?

Thanks!

David

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2/21/198:25 PM

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VintageClassicsOGR Forum Member

I found a few color pictures of 3700 class engines, this one is on Soldier Summit in 1952.

Upon closer inspection, it DOES appear to be a lighter shade on the boiler vs the cab, tender and domes... I believe this is likely green

Remember, RIO GRANDE Boiler Green is very similar to the PRR Green, appearing black unless in the proper light... This engine appears to be Green, in the 50s...