Steam & Excursion > Color of Lettering on Steam Locos!

Growing up with B&W photography in books, I would have had no clue that the lettering on EBT steam locos was that (Vermilion?) color. Also, imagine my surprise when I first saw that the lettering on the NKP 765 was not white or silver. LOL  (I helped restore the 765 in the late 70s.) Remember, for us who were born just shy of the end of steam, at one time, our reference was for the most part B&W photography, though it certainly could be some great stuff that would fire up our imaginations.

How about you?

Victor B.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/22 15:37 by wabash2800.

I think of EBT engines lettered in "Halloween Orange".  Strange choice.

I grew up along the Eire-Lackawanna and their beautiful maroon & gray. The D&H even kept the same stripes when they swapped E-L for some GE U33Cs, but painted the maroon in D&H blue. Then one day I saw a black and white photos of Union Pacific's two-tone gray livery on passenger equipment and some steam. The striping is similar to E-L's and somehow I was thinking UP had maroon & gray in a black & white photograph.

One day I was at a slide show and imagine my surprise seeing a color slide of a UP passenger car in two-tone gray. My childhood fantasy was dashed.
Dave in MT

Both Santa Fe and SP used Aluminimum Bronze on their steam locomotives with SP changing to SP Lettering and Striping Grey in 1946.

PHall Wrote:
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> Both Santa Fe and SP used Aluminimum Bronze on
> their steam locomotives with SP changing to SP
> Lettering and Striping Grey in 1946.

I am surprised that SP did not change earlier with aluminum being a strategic material. Maybe lettering and striping did not use that much, but I know some railroads which early in the war dropped aluminum from their diesel paint schemes in favor of imitation aluminum.

I have had my hands on the painting and lettering of the NKP 765 since she was in the park.  The NKP Dulux gold is the same as the PRR "yellow" according to NKPHTS Founder Tony Koester.  We have deviated from that slightly to use stock Rustoleum paint, recently switching to Bulls Eye Once Shot Paint.

The NKP main backshops such as Conneaut, Brewster, Toledo and Calumet followed that standard.  However the Frankfort, Indiana roundhouse and backshop and maybe the Lima backshop  seemed to use silver or aluminum trim on the front number plate numerals, tender and cabside lettering and the driver tires. The Dean of all things NKP was John H. Keller Sr. of Lima and he delivered that information from his service on the NKP starting in 1941..  You can tell the difference when you see a color photo of a "Frankfort" locomotive vs. a Conneaut locomotive.  765 was a Conneaut locomotive and the S-2's and S-3's rarely if ever strayed south and west of Arcadia, Ohio to Lima, Frankfort or points west ( Peoria and St. Louis).

Substantiation or contrary info from credible sources is always welcome but be forewarned, you are going against what JHK said!

Thanks for that info Wayne. I didn't know that and find that interesting. I met John Keller once at the Allen County Museum in Lima, while I was doing research. I am grateful that I got to meet him.

Victor B.

NKP779:

NKP lettering drawings call out "Imitation Gold", which "One Shot" makes. 

Jim Kreider

A minor detail, but the ghost of a Frankfort employee painted the 765's tires silver this summer just for a little variety ;)