Please tell me the colors used on the GM&O diesels in the early 1950’s. I remember getting 3X7" colored cards from the government while I was in high school. I had about 20 of them and one was a GM&O F3 (I think) and I recall it being very colorful but I can’t remember the colors.
Check out this thread over at TRAINS forum
Kalmbach Books printed “Pullman Paint and Lettering Notebook” by Arthur D. Dubin which was printed in 1997 and it has red and maroon paint chips from the passenger cars for the GM&O. I figure the diesels will be very similar in color, since they used F-units, both A&B and had steam generators in them, and used the same units to pull freight trains. You didn’t specify freight or passenger diesels or location north or south.
What I paint my engines with and what the color chips appear, aren’t exact matches. The GM&O didn’t wash their loco’s regularly, so use photographs. The red & maroon locomotives from St. Louis up appear a little brighter than the diesels used in passenger service from St. Louis on south. The PA’s and DL’s appeared to have a plum like color for the maroon the FA’s appear darker maroon, and the maroon up north appears to be more of a burgandy color. What I use is a white primer or Floquil primer and paint it Testers red and dark red (for the north end) and prime it with black and use Testers red and dark red (maybe 1 drop of black in dark red) for the south end. There will be a GM&O H.S. show in St. Louis, Oct 26-28, 2012, you can find out there. Bill.