Nostalgia & History > Coach seat colors on The Fleet of Modernism?

I have found lots of references to the Pennsylvania RR's "Fleet of Modernism" passenger cars, but have been unable to find  references to interior colors. Can anyone help? Especially with colors of walls, floor, and coach seats?

Thanks in advance for any help.

B&OBill

 

Your best bet will be old PRR brochures with their color interior renderings.  These tend to be quite accurate.  I'm sure such brochures could be found on Ebay from time to time.

If you're real serious, you could order the Technical Specifications for those cars from the Pullman Library at the Illinois RY Museum.  It will cost you all of about $35.00 - very reasonable.  The thing is, they will list all the colors of paint and upholstery used in each type of car, but it doesn't tell you exactly what color those colors are, if that make sense.  In other words, there are no color paint chip samples in the specs.  So the old brochures may be of more help in the end.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/17 15:09 by Topfuel.

Thanks, Topfuel. I admit I didn't think of that. I have a number of old PRR timetables and will check them out.

B&OB

Topfuel Wrote:
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> Your best bet will be old PRR brochures with their
> color interior renderings.  These tend to be
> quite accurate.  I'm sure such brochures could be
> found on Ebay from time to time.
>
> If you're real serious, you could order the
> Technical Specifications for those cars from the
> Pullman Library at the Illinois RY Museum.  It
> will cost you all of about $35.00 - very
> reasonable.  The thing is, they will list all the
> colors of paint and upholstery used in each type
> of car, but it doesn't tell you exactly what color
> those colors are, if that make sense.  In other
> words, there are no color paint chip samples in
> the specs.  So the old brochures any be of more
> help in the end.

No need to buy. Just use your Google search engine for PRR "Fleet of Mondernism" interior colors. I got quite a number of color brochures from the era. You should know that the colors that were used in these brochures are approximates, and changes may have been made while the cars were under construction and after the brochures were printed. I build models and my own experience is that, short of having color photos of the exact car(s) you are working on, accepting approximates may be the best you can do. Have fun. Show us what you are working on!

 

I went down to the files and what did I find but this color ad from the February 29, 1948 Pennsylvania Railroad system Time Table, Form 1.
Red seats, gray ends. I may even try to use small white labels to make the antimacassers!
What I'm working on will be K-Line O Gauge PRR coaches.  For illustration, I've posted two photos of Lionel cars I've done, coach and Strata-dome. I did have personal experience with the prototype interior colors, and these are  close.

thanks again.

B&OBill

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The magazine ads of the period are the best approximation of what was accurate for the time.  I have found that to be true with the Burlington car interiors of the 40s and 50s. 

-John 

There are also a bunch of postcards from that era available at stamp shows or on eBay. 
 

Wasn't the Fleet of Modernism from 1938?

Jimbo Wrote:
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> Wasn't the Fleet of Modernism from 1938?

Yes, but seat colors were probably similar to that chosen for post war cars.

bandob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went down to the files and what did I find but
> this color ad from the February 29, 1948
> Pennsylvania Railroad system Time Table, Form 1.
> Red seats, gray ends. I may even try to use small
> white labels to make the antimacassers!
> What I'm working on will be K-Line O Gauge PRR
> coaches.  For illustration, I've posted two
> photos of Lionel cars I've done, coach and
> Strata-dome. I did have personal experience with
> the prototype interior colors, and these are
>  close.
>
> thanks again.
>
> B&OBill

Well done Bill!