Nostalgia & History > Rock Island Rocket Paint Scheme

A question about the Rock Island Rocket's locomotive paint scheme - what were the correct as-delivered colors? Rock Island obviously changed the paint scheme a lot over the years, but we were trying to confirm what the correct original Rocket E-7 and F-7 colors were. I'm assuming that there's a Rock Island expert on Train Orders who knows.

Attached are two pictures for reference - but neither is too great. The color photo appears to be a little too warm - and the black and white photo makes the reds look black. I have a Vanishing Vistas post card with an EMD builders photo that is much more clear. Based on the post card, here's what I'm assuming the colors were. The darker red color is a burgundy/maroon (similar to the maroon that the simplified paint schemes migrated to later). The lighter red color in the middle of the nose is a bright crimson red (apparently the same red that is on the black white and red freight scheme of the same vintage). It looks to me like the stripes are white - but this is probably the toughest to tell. I have seen some references on the web that say the stripes are "silver white" - like a platinum color. In some pictures (especially of the restored #652 in Iowa) the stripes appear to be an aluminum/silver color.

Also attached is a preliminary CAD drawing of some F-7 artwork that we are working on - with the burgundy, bright red and white stripes. Did we get the color scheme right?

Thanks for your help!

Alison

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I love it. That second shot is something else. Thanks for the share.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Photographers can use colored filters over the lens to change the darkness of any color. To make red lighter a yellow, orange or red filter fan be used. To make red darker the choice is green or blue. To get better definition between the red and orange paints a green filter could have been used to make the red darker to make it stand out stronger.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

Both of your photos show the vertical grab irons on the nose as white, but you cad word has them in orange.

That was the first and best scheme for RI passenger diesels, in my opinion...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Here is an E.M.D. Builder's Photo that was used for a post card:

http://www.rits.org/www/equipment/dieselpix/RIE8A.JPEG

and a Google "Image" Search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Rock+Island+E8+postcard&client=firefox-a&hs=58j&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&biw=1280&bih=890&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=W5ZQVLH4BsGjyASp2oCwAw&ved=0CEYQsAQ#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&q=Rock+Island+E8&imgdii=_

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

I would suggest contacting Dan Sabin of the Iowa Northern Railroad in Cedar Rapids, IA. He (or his museum in Manly) own former RI 630 and 652.

Brian Ehni

DO NOT, under any circumstances, draw any conclusions based on the current paint on existing Rock Island Es 630 and 652. Both units were incorrectly painted by previous owners.

The answer to your questions will depend on what type of locomotive you're looking at...On the E3s and E6s, it's more likely the three-stripe band was silver as those units were originally equipped with raised stainless steel letters spelling out "THE ROCKET". By the time you get to the E8s, the words were painted on in white and the striping changed to reflect that.

Also, the early Es has stainless side panels, whereas the E7s and E8s were conventional steel and painted in an off-white EMD referred to as "Imitation Aluminum".

Attached are EMD builder's photos (in B&W, sadly) of an E6, an E7 A-B set and an E8. EMD photogs were very adept at using filters to make the various colors "pop" on monochromatic film, so I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions on colors, but I think it might help you with the striping, which looks decidedly silver on the 627 and white on the 640 and 645. Interesting it appears the E7 640 has white striping but stainless-steel letters for "THE ROCKET".

Also note in its original form the white/silver striping appears to have black striping in between.

Hope some of this was helpful,

NZ

P.S.: Also please note the RI herald on the nose was a separately-applied medallion, usually made of stainless steel. In the E7 shot it clearly shows a silvery border, indicating the natural finish was allowed to show through, whereas on the E8 it appears to have been completely painted over and the lettering and borders appear to be white, i.e., not reflective.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/14 10:26 by NebraskaZephyr.

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The paint scheme on RI #652 appears to be pretty accurate, unless the wrong colors were used in some places. RI E6 #630 was way off though in that the lower bands of darker red that should curve to a point on the nose were painted as straight angles instead. That's bothered me since it was restored that way in 1989. Granted, it was pre-internet so not as many ready-reference pictures were available, but I can't believe no one caught that mistake before the paint went on.

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davew833 Wrote:
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> The paint scheme on RI #652 appears to be pretty
> accurate, unless the wrong colors were used in
> some places.

They did. Used a silver paint on rear of carbody instead of "Imitation Aluminum", the maroon is too much to the purple side and the red a bit too orange. Placement of the elements not too bad.

Don't even get me started on 630....just be glad she was saved.

NZ

Thanks for all of the help on the paint colors. We really appreciate hearing from experts!

For your interest... ...attached is the pilot for our Rock Island F7 "Rocket" wall hanging artwork. We picked Rock Island's 1949 passenger F-7's as our prototype because the pilot detail of the F-7's was a little more interesting than the as delivered E-8's. For those of you who haven't seen our artwork before, there's a 12 inch ruler below the pilot to give you a sense of scale.

In the photo, the freshly laser cut parts are just loosely assembled for the initial test fit up. The parts and subassemblies are headed to our paint booth tomorrow - and to final assembly this weekend. Our goal is to have some of these ready to sell at the Milwaukee Trainfest show next week.

Thanks again!!

Alison
(Stoddart's Ltd Company)

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That is pretty cool. Please follow up with the finished product. With just a couple tweaks you could offer red and black as well as solid maroon freight schemes.

You better keep am eye on your laser printer, it's letting the air and signal hoses get too friendly and reproduce!!

Seriously, the mockup has four hoses near the coupler instead of the usual two. Might want to fix that.

Now, I hope you'll post the finished product as well as ordering info, I could see one of those on my wall!!

NZ

Well darn it! You fellas made me go to the basement and pull out my file of Rock Island blue prints I received May 20, 1963 from the Office of VP-Operations, JRO-Room 900, La Salle St. Station, Chicago, IL.
Starting with EMD Styling & Painting blueprint, Drawing No. 8074875, dated 1-9-1943, it applied to loco numbers 625 & 626. Sequential location numbers were assigned to various paint colors and the stainless steel as follows in the Styling & Painting Data and Paint Details block.
#1 - Dupont Duco 246-6957 (Dark Red), #2 - Dupont Duco 246-34793 (Imitation Aluminum), #3 - Dupont Duco 246-2039 (Black), #4 - Dupont Duco 246-9089 (Light Red), #5 - Dupont Duco 88-005 (Black), and #6 - Stainless Steel (Natural). These location numbers are noted at specific locations on the loco illustration. This blueprint is too large (17" x 42") to scan for an image, but there is detail and dimensions shown throughout. In the detail block area is shown specific drawing numbers for "THE ROCKET" lettering, four various striping patterns, the Rock Island nose emblem furnished by the RR, and the number box numerals.

In general, the top #1 - Dark Red over the cab area begins just below the headlight and runs on a horizontal plane to its side curve, then upward following this curve to the top centerline at the front of the top removable panel. This color continues further below, beginning the side curve at the lower front corner of the front side window in the area from the side curve forward within the #2 - Imitation Aluminum nose/side striped border. In this same area but behind the side curve, the height of the side windows, this area is #6 - Stainless Steel as is most the sides and top. This area is bordered with the #2 - Imitation Aluminum to 5 7/8"" from the rear end corner where the border forms an elliptical radius connecting the top and bottom portions of this border. The #4 - Light Red covers the entire side of this bordered area toward the front nose area of the lower light, *nose emblem, and then returns along the entire side at the bottom edge of the body and below #1 - Dark Red front and rearward lower Stainless Steel panels completely to the rear corner.

The side/top curved areas of nose being of #1 - Dark Red, in addition, had a #3 - Black stripe at the juncture of the stainless steel top/sides. The pilot was #1 - Dark Red and the anti-climber was #2 - Imitation Aluminum. The triple stripes on the nose from the lower headlight to just forward of "THE ROCKET" lettering were of #6 - Stainless steel. These triple stripes from "THE ROCKET" lettering to the rear was #1 - Dark Red. The "Rock Island" letters are #3 - Black. The top and sides other than the painted/striped areas are #6 - Stainless Steel as are all the rear side grab irons and all side door grabs. The skirt area below the body and covering a portion of the fuel tanks was #1- Dark Red. Fuel tanks and trucks were #5 - Black. The drawing doesn't denote what the rear of the loco was but I'm assuming stainless steel as were the sides and top adjacent to the rear end.

* The nose emblems were fabricated in the Rock Island shops from plate steel with stainless steel border and lettering soldered to this plate. The steel plate background was painted probably the #1 - Dark Red, then leaving the stainless lettering and border a polished stainless steel.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/14 07:08 by rrman6.

Thank you for everyone's help with the Rocket paint scheme colors. Attached FYI is the first run of our finished artwork product. We're showing these for the first time at the Milwaukee Trainfest - we'll see how they stand up to live inspection from some Rock Island fans!

Thanks!

Alison
(Stoddart's Ltd Company)

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That looks fantastic! Are you going to be selling those? As you can tell from my handle, I'm a dyed in the wool RI fan.

Brian Ehni

Nevermind; I found your web page. I'll be ordering one of these as soon as I can scrape the cash together!

Brin Ehni