CPRR combination cars

[Curtis Reid]

So, I was going to repaint my V&T combination car into CP colors, but I wasn't sure what color to use. I was leaning toward the same yellow ochre color as the V&T cars, but I wasn't sure if anyone had any better information?
Reasons for the yellow:
1: It's what the CP painted the V&T cars when they were built, and the V&T typically* didn't specify rolling stock colors.
2: This photo (http://cprr.org/Museum/Exhibit/_watkins ... _cab1.html) seems to show a later combination car in a light color than other cars in the train - though it could also just be reflection from the sun.

* Exception being a set of 30' flats ordered from the CP in 1873; specified to be slate color so as to differentiate them from CP-owned cars.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
Curtis

[Randy Hees]

I suspect V&T early freight cars were any of mineral red, slate, or ocher yellow... And if we include the post 1900 Colorado Midland cars, black...

We have only a few anchor points, and the CP yellow is found on box cars.... and is not known if flats were painted that way too.... It appears that the Kimballs, and the first Sacramento cars were red...

Randy

[Andrew Brandon]

A while back I searched high and low for photos showing a single CP combination boxcar (or any CP car) in ochre. Occasionally a dirty car, or one catching the light shows up that almost seems it is light colored. The clue is the lettering, every CP freight car will have a light color (white lead) lettering. In the Cape Horn photo you posted, the caboose is still yellow with dark lettering.

I used to think the CP had ochre combination cars, I even swore I remembered a photo of one in Wadsworth. But when I checked every image, including the Wadsworth views I found there are none, every single car is a dark color, except for the earliest (non-boxcar) cabooses.

Knowing is half the battle.

knowing.jpg (7.96 KiB) Viewed 11704 times

[Andrew Brandon]

I have some roster info on the Combination cars from Kyle Wyatt:

CP 1542-4500 (even)
Combination Boxcar
Built: SP Sacramento Shops (most)
Capacity: 15TON
Inside Length: 27'-7"

photo 1624 Central Pacific & Southern Pacific RRs p.583 (available online)
photo 1624 The American Railroad Freight Car p.71
photo 1704 The Great Yellow Fleet p.29
photo 2924 Iron Horses to Promontory p.36
photo 2910? Central Pacific & Southern Pacific RRs p.52
plan American Railroad Freight Car p.294

[Curtis Reid]

Thanks, Andrew - I guess I'll go with a red, then. If evidence shows up of yellow somewhere, I'll just do a second version.

Curtis