Union Pacific Greyhound Challenger trim colors?

UP had aluminum trim along with the yellow trim.  Over 'time', from the sun's UV, the aluminum looked white.

@IRON HORSE posted:

I know Union Pacific painted the gray Challenger with yellow trim.  Can anyone confirm whether or not UP actually did the Challenger in gray with white trim?

No, the UP apparently did NOT have any two tone gray Challengers with "white" stripes/trim. The earlier two tone gray tinted steam locomotives did have "aluminum-gray" strips/trime, but not on Challenger types.

  I see several models out there that have done both trim colors and am wondering whether or not the white trim was actually done.

As stated above, no, i.e. NOT on challenger types.

From what I am reading, it appears the white trim may have been a light gray paint that appeared white.  Is this the case?

The colors was actually referred to as "aluminum-gray", but over time rapidly faded to a white appearance, especially in photographs.

Mike

For additional complete information and dates, check out the web site of Utahrails.com

@Hot Water posted:

Hot water,

Thanks for the replies to my questions (I could not copy them here).  I actually started finding my answers via utahrail.net before I posted this topic because it still seems a little unclear to me.  Clearly the armour yellow trim was used.  However, if you go the index and look at just the history of yellow trim, there is this quote:

"In mid-December 1946, the ten 4-6-6-4 Challengers assigned to passenger service in the Pacific Northwest were painted two-tone gray, but with yellow stripes in place of the earlier silver gray stripes."

This seems like it is a gray area statement (pun intended).  Does this mean earlier Challengers were painted gray with white (silver) trim first?  Or does this mean other UP steam locomotives were painted with the earlier white (silver) trim and the Challengers were ONLY painted with yellow trim?

The information then goes on to say that yellow trim was later replaced by white (silver) trim and eventually all went back to black.

Mike   

@IRON HORSE posted:

Hot water,

Thanks for the replies to my questions (I could not copy them here).  I actually started finding my answers via utahrail.net before I posted this topic because it still seems a little unclear to me.  Clearly the armour yellow trim was used.  However, if you go the index and look at just the history of yellow trim, there is this quote:

"In mid-December 1946, the ten 4-6-6-4 Challengers assigned to passenger service in the Pacific Northwest were painted two-tone gray, but with yellow stripes in place of the earlier silver gray stripes."

What that actually means is, the very first Challenger was painted in two-tone gray with yellow stripes, instead of the "aluminum-gray" stripes used previously on 4-8-4 steam locomotives, prior to 1946.

This seems like it is a gray area statement (pun intended).  Does this mean earlier Challengers were painted gray with white (silver) trim first?

No. The very first Challenger painted in two-tone gray with yellow stripes, was done at the Albina Shops (Portland, OR) in 1946. All remaining two-tone gray Challengers (10 locomotives total?) received the exact same styling treatment, i.e. yellow stripes.

Or does this mean other UP steam locomotives were painted with the earlier white (silver) trim and the Challengers were ONLY painted with yellow trim?

Correct.

The information then goes on to say that yellow trim was later replaced by white (silver) trim

NOT on the Challengers.

and eventually all went back to black.

Mike   

I read through the section on UtahRails.com recently regarding the two-tone gray paint scheme and striping on UP’s 4-6-2 Pacifics, in reference to Lionel’s offering in its latest catalog. In reading through this rather lengthy section, it appears to me that Hot Water is correct about the Challengers.

@samparfitt posted:

UP had aluminum trim along with the yellow trim.  Over 'time', from the sun's UV, the aluminum looked white.

That's a beautiful engine.

@Yellowstone Special posted:

I read through the section on UtahRails.com recently regarding the two-tone gray paint scheme and striping on UP’s 4-6-2 Pacifics, in reference to Lionel’s offering in its latest catalog. In reading through this rather lengthy section, it appears to me that Hot Water is correct about the Challengers.

Yes, makes sense.  Thanks for your input.

And thanks, Hot Water, for clarifying.

Mike

@IRON HORSE posted:

Hot water,

Thanks for the replies to my questions (I could not copy them here).   

That's because of the way he inserts his replies, they then don't appear when you select "Reply with quote."