Description

Painting and Lettering C&O Lightweight Passenger

The purpose of this pamphlet is to detail and explain the painting and lettering of C&O lightweight passenger cars in the period 1950 through 1971. Since the mid-1920s C&O passenger cars were painted in a dark olive green similar to “Pullman Green” and lettered in various types of gold or gold leaf. BeginningWith the acquisition of C&O’s lightweight stainless steel Budd-built cars for use on the projected Chessietrain in 1948 a new scheme was required. More importantly receipt in mid-1950 of a large order of cars from Pullman-Standard, C&O introduced its famous tri-color yellow-blue-stainless (or gray) scheme. The Budd-built cars were stainless steel and therefore required little paint, since only the letter board was painted. The Pullman-Standard cars had a yellow letter board, a blue window stripe, while the stainless steel fluting below the windows provided the third element of the scheme. But, in the mid-late 1960s it was necessary to remove the stainless steel fluting and replace it with a smooth side on some cars which had experienced excessive rusting. This smooth side was painted with gray to blend in with the remaining cars still having the fluting. Additionally, beginning in the early 1950s the heavyweight cars were repainted to blend with the new Pullman-Standard lightweight cars. Since the heavyweight cars did not have the stainless steel fluting, the lower side sheets (below the belt rails) were painted “aluminum” (a silver metallic paint) initially, supplanted very shortly by the gray, as there was apparently some issue with either wear on the aluminum paint or it did not have the desired effect in blending with the stainless steel. The attached material, by Tod Hanger, C&O Historical Society’s expert on
passenger equipment, is provided to explain the exact type of lettering, the exact colors used, and the appropriate placement.
The C&O Historical Society has released a four model paints that have been developed accurately from official C&O colors. These supply the “Swamp Holly Yellow” for the letter board for The Chessie cars. This would be used if the model cars are to be lettered for The Chessie (see below) as well a the three colors needed for the tri-color scheme.
C&O retained a few Budd-built cars for general use once the implementation of The Chessiewas abandoned. These cars then had their letter boards painted “Federal Yellow” and were lettered “Chesapeake and Ohio” in blue script. The Federal Yellow, Enchantment Blue, and Gary, are the other colors included in the set which can be used for the Pullman-Standard cars. The gray will be needed for the heavyweight cars that were painted into tri-color as well as that portion of the Pullman-Standard coaches and blunt-end observation diners that were re-sided in the mid-late-1960s due to the side sheet failure that required the removal of the stainless steel fluting. It is important to note that none of the Pullman-Standard C&O sleeping cars ever had their stainless steel fluting replaced with flat sides painted gray.

10 pgs.

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