C&NW Depot Colors

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Any North Western fans out there that would have ideas about depot paint schemes, anytime durint the period 1906-1950(ish)?

The details: Someone one in my hometown (Gillett, WI) is planning to build a model of our (sadly, long gone) depot, and is curious as to the color. The depot was torn down in the eaalry 1960’s, and anyone still around from that time (that remembers anything at all about it) reports anything from faded red to muddy brown. The last passenger train was 1950, so I am sure the absolute minimum was spent on maintenance afterward. But does anyone have possible/plausible paint standards for eariler, when those standards might have been kept?

2

A recent C&NW Historical Society Issue has an article about the depot paint schemes. Several color photos of northern Wisconsin depots. Had passenger train colors.

3

Based on other C&NW depot restorations it was probably red. From the pictures I found on the internet it was two tone with the wainscotting being one darker color or shade and the rest of the depot another lighter color or shade.

Google these other C&NW depot restorations.

West Bend, WI…was actually done with paint chips during paint scraping.

http://landmarkhunter.com/195383-west-bend-chicago-and-north-western-depot/

Here is one being moved in South Dakota:

http://www.west.net/~cvh/

Also, they seemed to prefer a specific shade of red brick that was close in color, note the Fond Du Lac Depot here…

http://landmarkhunter.com/196132-chicago-and-northwestern-railroad-depot/

Lakefront Depot in Milwaukee was this shade of Red as well with a little more brown in it (probably due to soot).

Here is a good website:

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr003.htm

Looks like the majority were red but previous poster is also correct they painted some yellow and green, as well as grey with white trim…and other colors.

4

For that time frame - Oxide Red would be appropriate. The ‘Omaha Road’ liked to use yellow/green in northern Wisconsin.