Zephyr 47
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
The Burlington Route Historical Society published a Data Sheet titled, “Standard Color Schedule for Painting Structures”. This Data Sheet was included in an early Zephyr, but I pulled mine out, and
it’s not identified as to which Zephyr. Copied correspondence in the Data Sheet is dated in late 1941. Color photos show both rural wood and larger brick depots, so presumably, the standard applied to all depots, including the depot in O’Neill, NE, which answers
the Lines West part of the question. Color data are presented in a large table, and color swatches are printed at the bottom. Colors are Bronze Green, Indian Red (Structural Mineral Red), Light Buff, Seal Brown, and Old Ivory. Wood depots were Indian Red with
Bronze Green trim. Interior colors were Light Buff walls, Old Ivory ceilings, Seal Brown for pine or fir trim, and Golden Oak stain for oak trim. Doors and wainscot were the same as trim colors. Brick wall were not painted. Freight room interior wall and
ceilings were not painted, but trim was painted Bronze Green.
Paint specifications are included for depots, Signal towers, section houses, shop buildings, engine houses, oil houses, ice houses, hand car and tool houses, out buildings (privies), coal chutes,
water tanks, oil tanks, and cranes.
This Data Sheet is an invaluable resource to CB&Q modelers, and if it’s not for sale in the Company Store, provision should be made to make it available.
Nelson Moyer