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Seaboard Air Line had some nice and not so nice paint jobs, but they did paint their diesels differently for the service they were meant.

Freight diesels were painted (more or less) Pullman Green:

F3A 4027

and later in  the "Jolly Green Giant" Green:

SAL GP7 1799 c

Passenger Diesels were painted (1st) in their Citrus Scheme:

sal3002

and later in their Mint Green scheme:

E7 3025a

And of course their switchers were painted red and black:

sal 1472

There were some experimental paint schemes, but these were the ones that stood the test of time.

What other RRS did this???

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  • F3A 4027
  • SAL GP7 1799 c
  • sal3002
  • E7 3025a
  • sal 1472
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Bob Delbridge posted:

Seaboard Air Line had some nice and not so nice paint jobs, but they did paint their diesels differently for the service they were meant.

Passenger Diesels were painted (1st) in their Citrus Scheme:

sal3002

And of course their switchers were painted red and black:

sal 1472

There were some experimental paint schemes, but these were the ones that stood the test of time.

What other RRS did this???

Thanks for this info Bob, good topic. I am interested in SCL because i remember it most from my childhood so this is particularly interesting to me. I think my favorite scheme was the citrus scheme passenger diesel. 

I though SCL also had a blue and orange diesel switcher.  

Last edited by Gary Graves
colorado hirailer posted:

As noted above, Burlington had silver passenger diesels and gray freight ones, but I don't know whether that rule was strictly followed later in the company's history, or if they had a power shortage and needed something that would run.

Not on the Burlington since the passenger units had much different traction motor gear rations than all the freight units, when it came to the "E Units" vs. the "F Units". The GP7/GP9 and SD7/SD9 units were different and could be used in both freight and passenger for the branch line operations, if said units were equipped with steam generators.

"I thought SCL also had a blue and orange diesel switcher"

Gary, I think that was ONLY in Lionel's dreams, I've never seen a photo of one painted that color.  Of course, SAL also had a single GP9 painted in Jolly Green Giant paint too but I've never seen a color photo of that either (do have a B&W photo and you can tell the difference).

ChipR, I think the Sea Foam and Mint green thing has been kicked around for decades, but most of the KIAs (know it alls ) on the historical forum have labeled it Mint, like in Mint Julep.

From what I've read it turned to white about as quickly as the N&W Pevler blue started to fade.

Maybe if CSX ever gets around to doing some Heritage schemes we'll get to see these colors again

Back when 3rd Rail was doing the E7s I sent them a paint sample and my model it looks spot on.

Seaboard had some of the freights painted in the Citrus scheme also, plus a set of FTs (4018 and 4118) were painted in looks like a brown scheme with gold lettering, but both died quickly in favor of the Pullman/Seaboard Green.

Last edited by Bob Delbridge
Bob Delbridge posted:

"I thought SCL also had a blue and orange diesel switcher"

Gary, I think that was ONLY in Lionel's dreams, I've never seen a photo of one painted that color.  Of course, SAL also had a single GP9 painted in Jolly Green Giant paint too but I've never seen a color photo of that either (do have a B&W photo and you can tell the difference).

ChipR, I think the Sea Foam and Mint green thing has been kicked around for decades, but most of the KIAs (know it alls ) on the historical forum have labeled it Mint, like in Mint Julep.

From what I've read it turned to white about as quickly as the N&W Pevler blue started to fade.

Maybe if CSX ever gets around to doing some Heritage schemes we'll get to see these colors again

Back when 3rd Rail was doing the E7s I sent them a paint sample and my model it looks spot on.

Seaboard had some of the freights painted in the Citrus scheme also, plus a set of FTs (4018 and 4118) were painted in looks like a brown scheme with gold lettering, but both died quickly in favor of the Pullman/Seaboard Green.

Seaboard's green passenger livery with the accent stripe looks like PRR's one stripe scheme, but in different colors.  Dis they get inspiration from the PRR, on which ran many of their NYP-Florida triains?

The Citrus scheme seemed very complex,  I can see why they would want to simplify things.

Dominic,

Not sure but I do believe SAL got a lot of inspiration from PRR.

SAL found the citrus scheme to be a maintenance headache for sure.  I wonder what NS will do once their Heritage fleet starts showing mileage?  maybe they should have done these paint schemes on older engines they were planning on retiring.

Maybe for another topic, but Seaboard also had passenger cars painted in other RRs schemes, like their coach(es) painted in Illinois Central colors for the CITY OF MIAMI but with SEABOARD on the letterboards.

Bob Delbridge posted:

 

Maybe for another topic, but Seaboard also had passenger cars painted in other RRs schemes, like their coach(es) painted in Illinois Central colors for the CITY OF MIAMI but with SEABOARD on the letterboards.

I don't recall seeing Seaboard lettered passenger cars in my IC books.  Central of Georgia, yes.  Seaboard, no.

Rusty

Bob Delbridge posted:

Dominic,

Not sure but I do believe SAL got a lot of inspiration from PRR.

SAL found the citrus scheme to be a maintenance headache for sure.  I wonder what NS will do once their Heritage fleet starts showing mileage?  maybe they should have done these paint schemes on older engines they were planning on retiring.

Maybe for another topic, but Seaboard also had passenger cars painted in other RRs schemes, like their coach(es) painted in Illinois Central colors for the CITY OF MIAMI but with SEABOARD on the letterboards.

And PRR had cars painted for other roads on run through trains.  The FL trains are an example.

Plus PRR had Green, Red and SILVER GG-1's.  The SAL green livery has the look of those GG's.

Bob Delbridge posted:

Dominic,

Not sure but I do believe SAL got a lot of inspiration from PRR.

SAL found the citrus scheme to be a maintenance headache for sure.  I wonder what NS will do once their Heritage fleet starts showing mileage?  maybe they should have done these paint schemes on older engines they were planning on retiring.

Maybe for another topic, but Seaboard also had passenger cars painted in other RRs schemes, like their coach(es) painted in Illinois Central colors for the CITY OF MIAMI but with SEABOARD on the letterboards.

UP's are still going strong.  Even the Olympic units are out there!

During the 1940's and 1950's, Missouri Pacific used different designs (though in the same colors) on passenger and freight diesels.  Its hood units were painted in the freight scheme, but subsidiary Texas & Pacific painted its hood units orange and black in a totally different design.  The kept the hood unit design and began to change the colors to blue and light grey just before the Jenks solid blue was adopted for everything.

New York Central used grey for passenger, black for freight.

Frisco used red and gold for passenger, black and imitation gold for freight cabs, and black with imitation gold diagonal stripes for hood units.

Pittsburgh & Lake Erie used the NYC scheme on its late model Alco-GE PA's, but I believe they painted their geeps in a dark green lightening stripe instead of NYC black.  Correct me if I am mistaken.

Last edited by Number 90

The Milwaukee Road's earliest diesel switchers were all painted black (like a locomotive should be painted) but then some of them started showing up in the Hiawatha colors with light gray on the top and orange on the lower part, separated by a maroon stripe.  Eventually they all had orange on the lower section with black from about 1/2 way up. 

Their freight diesels, in later years were also black tops with orange lower sections.  When they first started to purchase road diesels for freight use, they were a medium gray with an orange stripe around the belt area.  Later on these were also painted with an orange lower section and a black top.  When this last scheme started in about 1950, they also included a wide maroon stripe above the belt rail.

Passenger engines had the biggest variations.  The first two passenger diesels, A-A E-6's and A-A DL109's, they had a light gray upper section  and an orange and maroon stripe around the belt.  The Fairbanks Erie-builts had a paint job of their own which you have to see to understand.  Some even had a chrome, radiator-like panel across the front of the A unit.  this was eliminated fairly early and all passenger units were painted with a black roof, an orange bottom separated by a wide maroon stripe.  In 1956 the Milwaukee entered into an agreement with the Union Pacific to handle their passenger trains from Omaha to Chicago (replacing the C&NW) and at that time began painting all of their passenger equipment, except commuter cars, into U.P. Yellow and Gray.   To me, that spelled the end of the real Milwaukee Road, although the company remained in business for another 30 years.

Paul Fischer

 

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