THE PAINTING OF PRR LOCOMOTIVES AND TENDERS

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INTERIOR CAB GREEN Cab Interior, including doors and seat boxes

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ADDITIONAL COLORS USED IN THE LETTERING AND STRIPING

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BUFF LETTERING COLOR

Freight and Switching Locomotives: ALL Lettering on Locomotive and Tender.

Round Number Plate: Numerals and Border

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GOLD LEAF

Passenger Locomotives: All Lettering on Locomotive and Tender, Striping on Locomotive Wheels, Cab and Tender. Round Number Plate: Numerals and Border, Keystone Number Plate: Numerals and Border

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WHITE COLOR

Passenger Locomotives: Striping on Locomotive Wheels, Cab and Tender

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CHOCOLATE STRIPING COLOR

Passenger Locomotives: Striping on Tender

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TOLUIDINE RED

Keystone Number Plate: Background

Note- Gold Leaf was used on all Keystone Number Plates, including those on M1 and M1a Locomotives in freight service.

DESCRIPTION OF COLORS

DARK GREEN LOCOMOTIVE FINISH

Was a mixture of Green and Black which was so dark that it usually appeared Black

FRONT END PAINT

Was a heat resistant black graphite paint to which some aluminum powder was added. The shade of this "silvery-black" color varied at different shops and enginehouses.

FREIGHTCAR COLOR

Was a standard PRR Freight Car Red as used on all Freight Cars.

SASH COLOR

Was a Brilliant orange-red which was called "dark orange" on Passenger Car window sash. It was a mixture of Venetian Red, Chrome Yellow and White.

INTERIOR CAB GREEN Was an ordinary medium Green

BUFF LETTERING COLOR

Was a very light yellow. It was a mixture of Chrome Yellow, White, and a small amount of Venetian Red.

GOLD LEAF

Was Genuine Gold Leaf made of real Gold Leaf.

CHOCOLATE STRIPING COLOR

Was a Light Brown. It was a mixture of Indian Red, Chrome Yellow and Black.

TOLUIDINE RED

Was a bright Scarlet Red

Comments by the PR&IA/PRRT&HS Research Staff

This preceeding list of paint colors was compiled from information in PRR Booklet No. 199-C, "Instructions to be followed in Painting the Different Parts of New and Repaired Locomotives and Tenders", dated October 8, 1929. For simplifiction and clarity, it has been arranged according to colors and shows only the final coat, or finishing color, of the various parts.

For parts which are not specified, such as Turbo-generator and Air Compressor, it can be assumed that they are included in the catagory such as "Pipes and Fixtures", for example. Whether they are painted Black or Dark Green makes very little difference as these two "colors" are so similar. Certain Brass parts were left unpainted, such as: Bell, Whistle, Safety Valves, Locomotive Badge Plates, Snifting Valves and Air Pump Governor Cap. Bells, Badge Plates and Passenger Whistles were usually polished, while Safety Valves and Freight Whistles were almost always permitted to oxidize black. Injectors were also Brass and were generally left unpainted and allowed to blacken naturally.

The Color names in this list are the same as used in the 1929 PRR Booklet. However, some of these names were changed over a period of time. For example: Dark Green Locomotive Finish was called Dark Green PRR Shade in the 1940's and 1950's; Front End Paint was "Smoke Box Paint" in 1938 and Sash Color was "Exterior Sash Enamel" in 1938. Also, some colors were eliminated at various times. The Sash Enamel was discontinued around 1938, and Cab Window Sash was then painted Dark Green on the outside and Interior Green on the inside. The Gold, White and Chocolate Striping on Passenger Locomotives and Tenders was dropped in July 1918, restored in April 1920 and dropped again in June 1932.

It should be mentioned that these 1929 painting instructions are for "new" and "repaired" locomotives in shops. The cleaning and maintenance instructions for enginehouses specified different paint colors for certain parts when painting was required. For example: Locomotive Maintenance Instruction No. L-54, Feb 23, 1938, specifies that during the monthly cleaning at Boilerwash period, the cab roof above rain gutter must be given one coat of Freight Car Paint if necessary in order to turn the engine out in first class condition. There is no mention of mixing Black with the Red and no mention of wood cabs and steel cabs.

This explains the frequent sightings of cab roofs which had been painted standard freight car red at various enginehouses, while, at the same time, freshly repaired engines just out of Altoona Shops were observed with the Cab painted a Red so dark that it was nearly Black. Apparently, the Cab Roof painting instructions of 1929 for repaired Locomotives remained in effect with little or no change for a number of years after 1929.

NOTE*- It should be remembered that "Freight Car Color" refers to the old light freight car red in use during the 1920's 30's and 40's, which was a much lighter shade than used in more recent years.

Tender Tank Top and Rear of Coal Space were straight Freight Car Color with no Black added, for all types of repairs and repainting. However, the interior of the Coal Space was specified Black in 1929. This part was painted red later in the 1930's and also as recently as 1956.

It is interesting to note that three different colors were used on Cab Roofs, with none being solid Black. Wood Cabs were treated differently from Steel Cabs and the colors varied to some extent with different types of repairs. According to these 1929 instructions, Steel Cab Roofs never used straight Freight Car Red as the finish coat, whereas Wood Cab Roofs used it when undergoing cleaning and repainting only, or for touch up repairs. The lightest color on steel cab roofs at that time was a mixture of three parts Red and one part Black, and this accounts for the somewhat dark red so frequently observed on steel cab roofs all over the PRR. Painting the roof was classed as "Touch-up" work when the entire cab did not require repainting. In all other types of repairs, Steel Cab Roofs were painted with a mixture of equal parts Red and Black, and this was so dark that it usually appeared Black to the observer on the ground.

**End Comments by the PR&IA/PRRT&HS Research Staff**

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An additional comment should be included. As for the "basic" color of a PRR Steam Locomotive, many terms have been used. From Dark Green Locomotive Finish to Dark Green PRR Shade to Dark Geen Locomotive Enamel to Dark Green Locomotive Paint. These colors were all the same. "Brunswick Green" has also been used. It was stated somewhere that it was a "railfan" made up term. This is not the case. According to some documents, the term Brunswick Green was used to specify this Black/Green color as well.

SUGGESTED HOBBY PAINT COLORS FOR MODELING PURPOSES

(by Gary Mittner)

Many modelers have their favorite ways to finish a PRR Steam Locomotive. In fact there are probably as many mixes and secrets as there are modelers. Below are my suggestions of the typical paints used to finish a K4s, I1s, M1, T1 etc. I have been painting for 20+ years. Very little has changed in my supplies of colors. However, I am in the midst of switching when I can, to the more enviormentally safer mediums. But I do rely on the "good stuff" now and then.

What I use for a typical "new" looking PRR Steamer: