Can someone tell me or point me in the direction of when the different paint schemes were used on the Union Pacific steamers? I’m most interested in 1940-1955.
Ex: Were the 2-tone gray w/ yellow stripes used at the same time the 2-tone grey with silver stripes were used? If not which was first and what were the dates?
Also, I see the newest release of Athearns Challenger has an all black smokebox and boiler…I have also seen BB’s that way as well…was there a specific point in time that they started leaving the graphite off the smokebox or did it depend on how busy the railroad was?
Thanks guys…
I lost all of my reference material in a fire about three years ago so all of this is from memory but I’m sure that somebody will jump in an correct any discrepancies.
The two tone grey w/ silver striping and lettering was first, shortly after WWII. The first FEFs to get it were painted w/ grey before they got the elephant ear smoke deflectors. The inside of the smoke deflectors were usually black but I recall a picture of one that (I think on a Truman campaign train, but we’re really pushing the memory here!) had the black below and grey above the silver stripe on the inside of the deflector. The dark grey on the cab stopped at the front corner on some engines and was continued around the front of the cab on others. All UP classes of psgr engines in service at that time got the grey (Pacifics, Mountains, Northerns and Challengers). The Challengers that got grey paint were all oil burners and had smoke deflectors. The dark grey was not carried around to the rear of tenders. The striping was changed to yellow about the time psgr cars were changed from 2 tone grey to yellow and grey
As for the black smokebox, if a prototype picture of such a thing exists, it has escaped my notice.
Thank you Jim! Thats exactly what I was hoping to get! Can you recommend any particular books?
If I recall (I’ll try to find the reference and post a link), the Pres of UP felt that the new Pullman cars, in yellow and grey, should be matched by the UP locos which were white and gray. He ordered the changes to commence between Christmas and New Year of 1946 (I’ll check that). However, the colour scheme only lasted for two or three years before they reverted.
I’ll edit this when I find the info.
Okay, it was mid-'46, and is much more complicated.
Here is the link (I hope it works as I type it)
http://utahrails.net/up/steam/greyhounds.php
For some good info on UP steam try to find the Classic Trains Special issue “Steam Glory”. For books you might want to check out “Union Pacific Railroad” by Brian Soloman.
Thanks guys.
Selector, thats a great link and yes it works. I appriciate you taking the time to double check that. Quite a story on those Challengers, I had it backwards as to which striping was first…I assumed it was the silver first…Maybe i thought that because of 844 in the grey w/ yellow striping back in the 80’s. I guess I have to find one of the BLI 4-8-2’s in silver stripes!
Jonathon, thanks for the thoughts on the books. I’ll see if I can find a copy of those.
From what I heard about the 4-8-4’s many were painted in the “Greyhound” scheme in '46; when all were converted to burn oil. Earlier in late '45 they had had the “elephant ears” put on.
Because it was harder to keep clean due to heavy traffic during the Korean war, they were painted black and graphite again starting in '52.