Hol,
If the first versions of the blackbird paint schemes were delivered on
locomotives in early 1940, do you have any idea why the Baldwin VO-1000s are
shown being delivered in black with Everywhere West and Way of the Zephyrs
painted on their hoods in 1943 and 1944? Was this a time or cost savings on the
part of the War Production Board? How long after delivery did the black paint
scheme on these units remain in service before being repainted? Does anyone
have photos of the VO-1000s in service on the Q in black?
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
On Apr 11, 2014, at 3:45 AM, CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> Re: Burlington Switcher Colors
> Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:31 am (PDT) . Posted by:"Hol Wagner" fhw632
> The first switchers in what became known to fans as the blackbird scheme were
> NW2 9203, turned out in April 1940, and SW1 9141, turned out the following
> months. These units and the others in the same orders (9204 and 9142-9147)
> featured very large Burlington Route heralds on their cabs and block gothic
> numbers and reporting marks rather than Railroad Roman. These lasted only
> until their first repainting. GE 44-tonner 9103, delivered in August 1940,
> came in the earlier all-black scheme with Dulux gold lettering.
>
> So the Pullman green scheme with red and yellow trim, used on Whitcomb 9120
> and Midwests 9121-9123, was outdated as of mid-1940, making the attached
> image of 9122 rather remarkable. Taken at Lincoln on May 19, 1952, some 12
> years after the Pullman green scheme was superseded, it shows the unit still
> painted in that scheme, though most of the red trim has been omitted --
> except for the upper side sill stripe. In a black-and-white view the Pullman
> green would be easily mistaken for black, and even in this view the side of
> the hood could easily be mistaken as black, but it is in fact green. (This
> also serves to demonstrate why by the late 1950s the heavyweight coaches
> painted Pullman green were known on the Q as black coaches.) The 9122 was
> undoubtedly the last diesel switcher on the Q painted Pullman green.
>
> I'm also attaching a view of 44-tonner 9103 in its original paint, taken at
> Clinton, Iowa, in January 1941.
>
> Hol
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