Just getting into modeling the Burlington. I have got some Morning Sun books on the way but my question was when did they red units first start appearing on the Burlington. Also, I have noticed the passenger F units sometimes have black stripes on the nose and sometimes red. What as the difference or was it a change is scheme and if so what year did that happen. Thanks:tb-biggrin:
Welcome aboard! The early Geeps were delivered in Blackbird scheme, correct? I would say mid-50's for Redbirds?
I wanna say 1953 but that's just a guess. I remember when reading it somewhere it seemed surprisingly early from what I expected.
Since SD9s, which only started production in 1954, came in black, the change must've been later. I remember 1958. http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/sd9.htm In that case, the last SD9s would've arrived new in red. I don't know if that's true.
I believe the GP-20s that were delivered in 1961 were the first with the Chinese Red paint. The F-Units with the black stripe were for freight runs. You can find out a lot by going here: http://www.burlingtonroute.com
I did a little more research. Looks like the SD9s (C&S 831-842) built in April of 1959 might have been the first new locomotives to be delivered with the Chinese Red paint scheme
Thanks for looking for us, Greg! I don't have the books for CB&Q, so I was hoping someone could look it up for those of us that don't!
Hi Group, Though I see this thread is a bit older, I'll throw my 2 cents in. The "Q" started painting their hood units in the Chinese Red with the delivery of the SD24's around 1958. At that time as other units, both hood (GP's & SD's ) and cab units (E's only) came into the shop for heavier repairs, they would have their paint scheme change. Hope this helps and isn't too late. Greg Minnesota
Nope. You can add to any open topic at any time. Sometimes one new post kicks off very interesting additional activity. Boxcab E50
E unit nose stripes went from black to red when the red frieght scheme was released. F units stayed gray.
I lived in Galesburg, during those years of CB&Q. In 1956/57 I saw the Black/Gray. It was much later that I saw the Red/Gray, for me , it was during the 60's.
Welcome aboard, friedrichs00!! Great to have you here. Brian, I never noticed the correlation of the nose stripes color change to the intro on the Chinese Red scheme. Good catch.
Welcome Friedrichs00 to Trainboard. Lucky you for living in what I have considered one of the best railroad towns in the midwest! Every year since 1998, I travel to Galesburg for the Galesburg RR Days show in June. Now to answer the question at hand. The official date as to when black and gray became Chinese Red and Gray, was 1958 under the leadership of Harry C. Murphy, president of the Burlington from September 1, 1949 until September 30, 1965. The very first locomotives to wear the scheme were 11 SD-9s delivered in April of 1959. The first to usher in the new scheme as a standard were the EMD SD-24's which arrived in May and June of 1959. First repaint? That would be the C&S SD-9 #828 which had been involved in a wreck in September of 1958. She was wearing here new colors in March of 1959. The Q is my favorite midwest road, I always enjoyed fanning in Galesburg and Northern IL on the former Burlington routes. Just think how nice that BNSF would look in Chinese Red and Gray!
