Nostalgia & History > Forty Plus Years Ago (101) - NYC

It is already five years into Penn Central, but PC 21538 is still in full NYC paint as she sits in Alliance, Ohio on February 24, 1973.
Bob

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Some history of the color, from some research I did several years ago to debunk the myth that UP's MoW green (known to some as "Kenefick" green) is the same as either NYC green or PC green...

New York Central's "Jade Green," which is actually called Century green, was first used beginning as early as June 1959 on NYC cabooses. This is not the same as the later Penn Central green, which was called Deepwater (or Deep-Water) green. There is a story that NYC's Century green was picked from a stack of paint swatches by Ruth Wetzel, an employee of the New York Central's engineering department, and wife of NYC design engineer Don Wetzel. Don Wetzel worked for New York Central from 1950-1967, and is best known for designing and operating the jet-powered RDC car tested on NYC in 1966.

As a side note about the green color used by Penn Central, the first issue of a special employee newspaper called Penn Central Post, dated March 1, 1968, to coincide with merger day, included an article about the new color used on freight cars coming out of the former PRR Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, shops. Quoting the article, "the new Penn Central color, officially called deep-water green."

An unconfirmed report is that John Kenefick, UP's vice president of operations during 1968, directed the change in color for Union Pacific's maintenance of way (Roadway) equipment, reportedly because he had noticed during his years on New York Central, from 1954 to 1968, that light green was more durable than other colors used by railroads, especially the bright aluminum then being used by Union Pacific. In comments made in early 2006, Mr. Kenefick mentioned that any light green would have worked and he found it amusing that everyone nicknamed it Kenefick Green. He made sure that the interviewer understood it was not Penn Central Green!

Don Strack

Nice photo by Mr Farkas and interesting info from Mr Strack. Raising my NYC I.Q.

Yes, thanks to both of you, Bob and Don.

I loved the NYC green as a kid. I found Crayola had a color called "sea green" that was pretty close, to my eye. I always thought the PC green was a little darker. Thanks Mr. Strack for this info.

Thanks so much for the information.
Bob

Gotta Love "Road To The Future"

I believe the NYC green was used much earlier than 1959 on a set of A-B-A E units which were experimentally painted Century green.

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> Some history of the color, from some research I
> did several years ago to debunk the myth that UP's
> MoW green (known to some as "Kenefick" green) is
> the same as either NYC green or PC green...
>
> New York Central's "Jade Green," which is actually
> called Century green, was first used beginning as
> early as June 1959 on NYC cabooses. This is not
> the same as the later Penn Central green, which
> was called Deepwater (or Deep-Water) green. There
> is a story that NYC's Century green was picked
> from a stack of paint swatches by Ruth Wetzel, an
> employee of the New York Central's engineering
> department, and wife of NYC design engineer Don
> Wetzel. Don Wetzel worked for New York Central
> from 1950-1967, and is best known for designing
> and operating the jet-powered RDC car tested on
> NYC in 1966.
>
> As a side note about the green color used by Penn
> Central, the first issue of a special employee
> newspaper called Penn Central Post, dated March 1,
> 1968, to coincide with merger day, included an
> article about the new color used on freight cars
> coming out of the former PRR Hollidaysburg,
> Pennsylvania, shops. Quoting the article, "the new
> Penn Central color, officially called deep-water
> green."
>
> An unconfirmed report is that John Kenefick, UP's
> vice president of operations during 1968, directed
> the change in color for Union Pacific's
> maintenance of way (Roadway) equipment, reportedly
> because he had noticed during his years on New
> York Central, from 1954 to 1968, that light green
> was more durable than other colors used by
> railroads, especially the bright aluminum then
> being used by Union Pacific. In comments made in
> early 2006, Mr. Kenefick mentioned that any light
> green would have worked and he found it amusing
> that everyone nicknamed it Kenefick Green. He made
> sure that the interviewer understood it was not
> Penn Central Green!
>
> Don Strack

Nice find!  An untouched NYC caboose five years after the merger was definitely nice.
Thanks for the interesting photo posting.
ALLEN