I know the black and orange "Halloween Scheme" was experimental and temporary. I am curious about this scheme as applied to Alco PA/PB locomotives. Press here for a link to a photo including a PB in this scheme. My questions: 1) I have the Strapac et al book on SP's Alco PA and PB locomotives. It's pretty much all B/W, so I would like to know what orange the orange is. Is it more of a DRGW orange or similar to the SP Daylight orange or more of a MILW orange or something else? As for the black, how did it look in the weather - kind of like a dark charcoal color? 2) Was there any orange on the PBs? What color was the number on the PBs - orange or white or something else? 3) What approximate years was this scheme found, and is it true that it was only applied to some but not all locomotives? Thanks in advance for your help, Adam
Espee Daylight Orange. PB's all black. "Very somber indeed," says Joe Strapac or someone. I don't know what years they were painted.
Bob Morris has recorded the locomotive in question. SP SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1959 Take time to look around you will find other locomotives in this alleged paint scheme.
Casting my vote. You have my vote. A little late perhaps but I would have preferred the orange over black as opposed to the gray and scarlet. I've never enjoyed a bloody nose.
The Espee started experimenting with paint schemes about 1957 or so. It was getting expensive to paint four colours on locomotives and passenger equipment. The Alco PA's had a Daylight Orange nose in a kind of triangle with the orange going up on the top of the nose. There were also some EMD F units painted that way and some SD & GP units along with FM Trainmaster 4811. The hood units had the ends of the hood and the sill in orange. Yard switchers were already in orange and black AKA the "Tigre Stripe" paint scheme. The striped areas were painted solid orange during the "Halloween" era. All "B" units were solid black with white or aluminum numbers. No lettering on any "B" units at any time. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the information, folks! That color photo with the orange next to the Daylight Orange is really helpful, and I can see that the black is black as black, not some sort of dark charcoal gray black. So, what I had noticed on photos is right. The "Halloween Scheme" PBs had no lettering, just numbering. It appears that it was not unusual in the late 50s for consists to include two or more paint schemes.
