I was reading recently (can't recall the item) that a RR painted its equipment tuscan red until 1918 when it adopted Pullman green as its passenger color in accordance with a USRA dictate. I had not heard this before, but I believe some other RRs also went from brighter schemes to drab green about that time - I'm thinking about the old C&O orange scheme. Has anyone heard of such a USRA rule? How did the Pennsy and Milwaukee avoid complying? Geezer
USRA Passenger Car Paint
Jul 25, 2006
4 Replies
Interesting. The Boston and Maine switched the other way, from Pullman green to "Passenger Maroon" back in that time frame.
David Starr
Notorious penny-pinchers, they probably bought the other lines' surplus.
You got that right. B&M was so cheap that they only painted the ENDS of cabooses bright red. Sides were painted in the cheaper box car red.
David Starr
[...
Oh, well, so did the CPR. But they did paint the handrails bright yellow.
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