I recently acquired a set of P2K NYC F7s with the simple cigar band paint scheme. I also have both gray and black NYC F7s and F3s with the lightning stripe scheme. What were the period that each of these paint schemes were employed. I am guessing that there would be some overlap time frame in which these paint schemes would have co-existed.
The “cigar band” paint scheme appeared in 1957-1958 and most locomotives in the lightning stripe scheme seem to have been repainted by 1966 or so. First new locomotives in solid black were RS-11’s 8000-8008 in June 1957 with script herald. First new locomotives with cigar band herald were GP20’s 6100-6114 in July & August 1961. All but 5 F3’s appear to have been retired by the end of 1965 and the remainder made it one year into Penn Central.