NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 36, Issue 13

[NW Mailing List]

Gary -

Yours is a really good summary of the paint scheme transitions in the diesel
era.  Do you or any other readers know if decals are available for the
'steam era' style lettering that would be appropriate for the 1955 GP-9s or
RS-3s - see the cover of the latest Arrow?  

Speaking of the new issue of the Arrow, the latest version that I just
received a few days ago starts a nice 3-issue summary of the evolution of
diesels on N&W.  This first installment is superb - including a good
reference picture of 'arguably' the first GP-9 on the system.
Congratulations on another great issue.

Bill Smith
Atlanta 


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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:48:37 -0500
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Norfolk & Western SW-1 Painting and schemes
To: "'NW Mailing List'" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Message-ID: <149BD1AA36394C9F85CA425BD24A03AF at 071927350f>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Mr. Seamon:   2105/2106 eventually got the big "NW in white with overall
black scheme.  N&W used blue for most of its locomotives in the late 1960's
through the early 1970's although some lasted in blue until the merger with
the Southern when the black paint peeled off.    The big, white NW came in
1971 when new orders came in that scheme and repainting was started.   

 

Very crudely,

 

Black with steam style lettering- 1955 to 1959

Red Bird GP-9's in Tuscan Red for passenger service -1958 to 1962 some with
Gothic style lettering and some with the hamburger herald later.

Black with gold Gothic N&W 1959 to 1962

Black with gold hamburger herald 1962 to 1966

"Pevler" blue with gold hamburger herald 1966 to 1971

Big NW in white over all-black 1971

NORFOLK AND WESTERN spelled out in white over all-black 1980 to merger

Experimental "Skunk" scheme all black with a white stripe around lower hood
like the Southern Aluminum stripe with black Norfolk And Western lettering
1981

 

Older schemes overlapped in abundance until the late 1970's when the older
schemes were fewer in number on older locomotives.   The Red Birds were
repainted into the blue scheme but not all passenger cars were repainted
into blue.  The steam style lettering was unique to EMD and Alco
locomotives; both lettering styles were different.  The EMD was nearly but
not the steam lettering style; Alco's had a very unique lettering style.  

 

The F's and E's acquired from the Wabash were different than the
road/switcher schemes; all-blue; blue and gray; all-black.

 

In the hamburger herald schemes, the lettering on the hood could be
different and different heights. 

 

After the NKP and WAB merger, Decatur, IL and the NKP shops were given
mixing instructions on how to use up old paint to mimic the 'standard' N&W
schemes.  Good paint was not to be discarded.  

 

Withers and Bowers Second Generation Diesels of the N&W is the handiest
source for the paint schemes and the timelines.  Painting diagrams are
available to order form the ARCHIVES (see Search the Archives on the home
page) with a simple request to archives at nwhs.org with the drawing numbers
desired.  

 

Gary Rolih

Secretary N&WHS