I have been watching that show "Hell on Wheels" and it is quite a good show, and also very cool for anyone who's into pre-1900 steam. It's given me some cool prarie-type diorama ideas and maybe a coffee table layout, but I don't know where to aim with my motive power. Long story short, I have acquired two small steamers I'd like to redecorate in Northern Pacific's actual color schemes. The locos I am using are: a black, Undec. Atlas 2-6-0 Mogul and a UP-decorated Bachmann 4-4-0 American. I have a few books on NP steam, but no color guides to use. Would the NP 4-4-0 be decorated lke the William Crooks or the UP/CP Americans? And would the 2-6-0 look correct with, say, a caboose-red roof and window box? Or would it have prototypically had white sidewalls and more decoration? Thanks in advance for assistance! Edit: EXTRA info- I have Atlas' 2-6-0 Mogul in NP colors as well, but I was aiming for more "freight" than "ornate" with my 2nd mogul. Thanks!
I guess to clarify, I want to target one of these locos here to model with the 4-4-0: http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=68&pos=0 BUT, I simply don't know what colors to use! Ron Nixon has some fantastic 2-6-0 Mogul pics online, but they're all B&W and most/all look to be all-black-painted locos. Example: http://muse.museum.montana.edu/rvndb/nixon-loco/npl-30.html
Hell on Wheels is an 1860's era which would be very different than an 1890's era engine. 1860's engines were VERY colorful. Lots of maroons and wine colors 3 or 4 colors of striping on the tenders, the boilers painted a different color than the cab, brass boiler bands and fixtures. there were even pink engines. Passenger cars were yellow. By the 1890's there was a lot more black on the engines. The 2-6-0 is more a 1890-1920 era engine than an 1860's engine. Search for pictures of 4-4-0's, the ones at Promontory have been restored to "proper" colors.
HA! I guess there's some leeway for me then. We have Central Pacific's "Gov. Stanford" in the Sacramento museum, a stunning loco but not wearing its original1860's ornate paint job, they kept it in its modified (after years of use and fixes) 1899 look. They all changed with time, I suppose. I have several short old-timey passenger cars that will work well here! I do recall NP's passenger cars were Pullman green around 1900 and on.....
A great reference set of books are those by George B. Abdill. He was a engineer in the early years of steam and quite a collector of steam photos and excellent photographer in his on right. Subject matter covers the timelines from prior to the Civil War to the early 1900s. There are quite a few of his books still available and although most photos are in black and white, you can still tell which had the color and trim. His book Pacific Slope Railroads comes to mind as one with early Hill Lines steam in it as well as other roads. A Railroad Engineer's Album is another that comes to mind. Sort of a timeline on color for most big roads was the advent of coal for fuel. Brass, gold, and silver trim was still around in the late 1800s. Costs and probably keeping the coal burners clean most likely spelled the end of the color on the boilers. A lot of the old cabbage and balloon stacks were still around in the late 1800s even with the switch to coal.
Thanks John! I found the NP "Pioneer Steam" book too, I may have to fire off $60 at that. Just the cover alone would be almost worth it! I'll have a look at my semi-LHS as they've got more NP books than I could ever read..... Cheers!
Atlas actually sells a factory-painted Northern Pacific 2-6-0. No idea how accurate the colors might be. -Mark
Mark In my jumble of words above.... I kinda-sorta had expressed that I do have one of those little crimson red 2-6-0 swiss watches, and the 2nd will be a bit more subdued in color It's actually a fantastic little engine, and matches the adornment of the B&W pioneer-era (mid/late 1800's) NP locos. Of course, the loco itself is a foobie, but hey- have you seen all the oddball classes NP used to run? As someone here's signature says, run whatever you want to run 'cause if you look long enough and you'll find it on the prototype BTW, Mark, have I ever told you how freaking awesome your site is? Always my #1 go-to before I hit the vendors! PS Go to this NPRHA page here, click on the "Steam Locomotive Diagrams" and scroll down to some of the circa-1913 locomotive diagrams- VERY oddball little steamers there!
