#14 Paint Schemes

[Benjamin Maggi]

I would like to model her in 1/8 scale live steam, and if I did so would actually be the 3rd person to. To that end, I am trying to construct a timeline for engine #14's paint scheme, and am having difficulty. I don't own many photographs or postcards of her (the postcards are not usually dated anyways) and some images on my computer that I have are from other people that I cannot remember or credit.

I have found out this much:

1.. At one time, presumably when she was first painted (as evidenced by the dual-color coaches) she was black with yellow trim.



2. at one time, #14 was solid black with white driver rims and orange windows and lettering;
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3. At another time, she was solid black with orange trim everywhere (as seen on the color brochures); and
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4. Finally, I have a picture of me standing on her pilot from either 1987 or 1988, (I was born in 1982, so it cannot be from the 1970s!) and she sure looks yellow. Maybe it is faded orange, but I also have an article from Railpace Newsmagazine from 2/1990, and they have a caption that shows #14 in black and yellow and it says it is from 1988. They also show the station in its gray scheme, and the coaches behind the engine look to be the two-toned orange and red, so the caption might be wrong. I cannot post that photo yet, but once I scan it in I will.

However, I cannot properly model her if I don't understand when her colors changed. Also, why did the railroad change from the early two-tone yellow/red scheme to the all orange scheme on the coaches and station too?
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Thanks. I have tried and tried to post the photographs, but they show up really small. I think I am computer illiterate. If someone can message me with how to make them appear bigger, that would be great!

[Benjamin Maggi]

Common, someone has got to know something about this!

[jgallaway81]

Ben, As far as I can tell, you have all her schemes... '88 is probably the last year she ran, so anything after that is nill...

Personally, I'd like to see her come back to operation in the same scheme that 18 went to bed with... black boiler/cab, silver smokebox, white trim

[Benjamin Maggi]

Yes, Jason, I think I have the schemes correct. I am interested in the dates that they changed, and possibly the motivations behind them.

[BSOR Patarak]

I can fill in a little about the color changes. Not so much about why though, only speculation.

When 14 and 18 first entered service, they were painted very plainly. Orange Circus like lettering on the tender, white wall tires, shiny black on the boiler trim and the graphite gray on the smoke box. Also, all of the handholds and step trims are black. This is my favorite scheme.

One of the first changes came after only a couple of years of operation (after 1964). I'm going to speculate here that it had to do with the ICC. They required that "safety appliances" (ie handholds, cut levers and steps) be of a contrasting color for visibility to the crews. By 1967, the basic colors were the same, but the walk way and hand holds had been colored. I've seen a picture of them white and orange...take your pick there. I believe the orange was more common on that particular trim. In a photo from 1969 I see her without whitewall tires and a lighter orange trim (more on the yellow orange side than the red orange). This may have been taken before the tires were cleaned and whitewalled. One trouble with the whitewalls is that the grease and oils from the siderods dirty them up pretty quick. The crews had to polish them up every day to keep them white.

1975 lookes basic black with orange trim and no white walls.

Then in 1976, 14 was given patriotic colors, sporting red handholds on the front and white wall tires, white side walkway trim and white cab hand rail with blue tender hand rail.

In 1982, the Orange looked much more red-orange. Also into 1984 it appeared this shade. A couple of shots are nearly red....not sure how accurate the color is though. I also notice that the '84 shot is where "R.I. CARTWRIGHT" appeared on the side of the cab. Also note that at this time the coach color had gone to the lighter yellow-orange with the Red Letter Boards across the top. This period up to around 1991, the coaches were several mix paint jobs until they were all repainted into the color much like they are now and were originially.

Into the later 80's the orange trim was replaced with Yellow. Or just a thought, but perhaps the orange faded to more yellow, and it was just repainted that way.

Hope this helps,
Pat

[Benjamin Maggi]

Thanks a lot Pat. Red, White, and Blue on #14? Do you have a picture of that, as I have never seen that before!

[jgallaway81]

Ya, that RW&B scheme would look cool I think.

Do share please!

[jgallaway81]

Just an 18 variate on this paint scheme, whatcha think?

[BSOR Patarak]

Here is the image of 14 in front of the shop in RW&B. I think I prefer the plain version myself. Still cool that the A&A painted an engine in a bicentennial scheme.

[jgallaway81]

I stand corrected... that looks hideous!

Oh my god.. I can't believe I said that about an A&A scheme... well, maybe it ain't so bad.... no it is!

Back to basic black & silver with orange detailing!

[Benjamin Maggi]

While I think that this engine DOES look a bit strange, I think I like it. I would not make a model of it in this scheme, but the fact that the railroad did something special for 1976 is pretty cool. Funny, TRAINS never had this picture in their magazine when they ran the other bicentenial engines article that year!

Actually, for what it is, I kind of like it. Thanks a lot Pat!

[jgallaway81]

Ben, you got to understand, though I'm an A&A fanatic, I love steam locomotive technology first & foremost.

[khojnacki]

That RWB paint scheme really did look nice with the American flags we flew with it. I think we only used that scheme for 1976 and it reverted to orange the next year. I'll have to check my slides.

I was the regular fireman for 1975-77 and that Bicentennial July 4th, we had a heck of a time. I believe it was at 2pm EDT, all over the country, people were supposed to ring church and other bells for two minutes to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Well, we only had one bell on 14 but Manley and I made up for it. Not only did Manley blow the regular and CN whistles, but I had another 3chime Lunkenheimer on the auxilliary pipe on the fireman's side of the steam dome. With earplugs in place, standing at the depot, for two minutes, we rang the bell and blew those three whistles for all they were worth. I think there were a lot of deaf people in Arcade after that episode.