Western Railroad Discussion > ATSF Warbonnet, Silver or Aluminum

I've seen many references on Train-Orders to ATSF FP-45's as having "Silver" and red for the paint. Yet, I've been unable to find a drawing that calls for Silver. EMD Dwg 8404795, which is the 1967 FP-45 Styling & Painting drawing for ATSF, calls for Aluminum paint, not Silver. They have two versions of aluminum. Acrylic aluminum P.N. 8295072 is used on the body and Enamel Aluminum P.N. 8114351 is specified for the trucks and under frame areas such as the fuel tank, air tanks, and every thing below the bed plate. Of course this is the original drawing for the FP-45's and I'm sure EMD/ATSF could have changed it to silver for later paint schemes but I've never seen a drawing with that call-out. If someone can verify the EMD/ATSF use of silver then it would be appreciated. Otherwise I'm thinking that the correct color description should be aluminum. Of course this is applicable to modelers as well.

Orange Empire RR Museum has FP45 SF98 and as reported in other threads, it is in the process of being refurbished back to its original SF108 paint scheme and configuration as best possible with the funding that is available. Our intent will be to follow the drawing that was in effect when the locomotives were first built in 1967.

Dave Althaus

I wouldn't take offhand references to "red and silver" too seriously. I think a lot of railfans, me included, tend to use "silver" as generic shorthand for any lustrous, otherwise uncolored metallic paint whether it's actually called "silver" by the manufacturer, or "aluminum," "platinum mist," "imitation stainless," or something else.

Thanks for your efforts to "get it right" - it will be great to have a fully restored and operational FP45 in the world again. Not that it's any consolation, but I suspect you'll catch a lot more grief from folks insisting you got the red wrong than the silver/aluminum.

Evan, thanks for the reply. We agree, calling it "Silver" rather than bright Aluminum is the standard in the community. In fact Wikipedia even calls the Warbonnet scheme Red & Silver. Obviously there are an infinite number of shades of Aluminum that range from dull gray up to bright silver looking. We came across this problem when we went to the paint supplier and asked about the availability of "Silver" paint. That gave them problems. They have no issue with supplying "aluminum" but silver gives them a real problem. That's when we went back to the drawing and found the correct call-out. Unfortunately we don't have the EMD drawings that define the aluminum so our best guess will be to attempt to find the brightest aluminum paint we can. Of course, as you note, matching the red is the real trick.

And for the past 60 or so years I have always regarded the "warbonnet" attire as red and stainless steel.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:

> I wouldn't take offhand references to "red and
> silver" too seriously. I think a lot of railfans,
> me included, tend to use "silver" as generic
> shorthand for.................

I've also privately realized the misnomer of the term Red & Silver. But sometimes ya just gotta go with a little bit of license.
What sounds better rolling off the tongue? 'Red & Silver'..... OR:

'Red & Aluminum', or 'Red & Platinum mist', or 'Red & Imitation stainless', or 'Red & Stainless Steel'

As a railfan I'll go with the romanticized Red & Silver over something more (technically) correct...

Lance

Starts as aluminum, weathers to silver, now gray for the most part... === === = === JLH

What ever anyone calls it, the pigment is powdered aluminum.
RB