New Haven Paint Schemes

The thread on the Herbert Matter logo got me to thinking something: how many different paint schemes did the New Haven have? I count at least 10: dark green with no herald (EP3 as delivered), dark green with script herald and one gold stripe (EP4), dark green with several gold stripes (DL109 etc.), warm orange with dark green and silver pinstripes (FA), warm orange and dark green (RS1 etc.), EP5 McGinnis, FL9 McGinnis, GP9 McGinnis, Black/Red with McGinnis logo (the Alpert-era PAs), red with white stripes (EF4). That's not even counting the I-5 Hudsons, the pre-EP3 electrics, the MUs or the one-offs like the Comet and the John Quincy Adams.

Did any other railroad of that (or any) era have so many different color schemes going? And does anyone know why the company seemed to change their image with just about every locomotive order?

My total guess on the second question is that, prior to the identity change in the 1950's, manufacturers were given license to interpret the New Haven's colors broadly and that orange paint was probably cheaper than gold.

khansingh wrote:My total guess on the second question is that, prior to the identity change in the 1950's, manufacturers were given license to interpret the New Haven's colors broadly and that orange paint was probably cheaper than gold.

If that were the case, though, you'd expect to see at least one other road follow the same practice. Thing is I can't think of any other that did. Even perennially shaky roads like Erie, the Milwaukee or the Rock Island didn't have as many different identities going at once.

The Erie and the MILW didn't, but the Rock came close.

1. Original Rocket passenger scheme (as seen on 652 and 630 today)
2. Modified "no stripe" rocket passenger scheme (as seen on IANR 678 today)
3. Original black/red EMD freight look (as seen on IAIS 513 today)
4. Mineral red dip with full white stripes
4. Mineral red dip with nose white stripes
5. Mineral red dip solid - no stripes
6. Mineral red dip with yellow wings
7. Bright red with gold wings and silver aft body (only seen on 630 during 1970's)
8. Bright red with yellow wings "billboard" (as seen on Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad today)
9. Bankruptcy Blue
10. Bicentennial (as seen on 652 only around 1976)

You want to talk about a broke railroad, they didn't have the money to paint 652 for the bicentennial - the railfans around here took up a collection. I always think of the Rock and the New Haven as kindred spirits - that is to say, the most perpetually broke railroads in the country, despite having quite a lot of character and interesting people.

Ridgefielder wrote:The thread on the Herbert Matter logo got me to thinking something: how many different paint schemes did the New Haven have? I count at least 10: dark green with no herald (EP3 as delivered), dark green with script herald and one gold stripe (EP4), dark green with several gold stripes (DL109 etc.), warm orange with dark green and silver pinstripes (FA), warm orange and dark green (RS1 etc.), EP5 McGinnis, FL9 McGinnis, GP9 McGinnis, Black/Red with McGinnis logo (the Alpert-era PAs), red with white stripes (EF4). That's not even counting the I-5 Hudsons, the pre-EP3 electrics, the MUs or the one-offs like the Comet and the John Quincy Adams.

Did any other railroad of that (or any) era have so many different color schemes going? And does anyone know why the company seemed to change their image with just about every locomotive order?

how about the Red of the SHORT LIVED Cranberry passenger train. I believe the Cranberry was around for a year.

Oddly enough, I was going to post a related question. I have two HO EP-4 units that I will have to paint. How long did the ‘pinstripe’ look last on the New Haven?

FLRailFan1 wrote: how about the Red of the SHORT LIVED Cranberry passenger train. I believe the Cranberry was around for a year.

"The Cranberry" (alias DL109 0722) was longer lived than you may think. I believe this scheme lasted on that one unit from 1949 to 1953

TCurtin wrote:

FLRailFan1 wrote: how about the Red of the SHORT LIVED Cranberry passenger train. I believe the Cranberry was around for a year.

"The Cranberry" (alias DL109 0722) was longer lived than you may think. I believe this scheme lasted on that one unit from 1949 to 1953

I'm thinking of painting a unit that color, and I would like to know what paint I should use. Can I get a model of a DL109? Oh..any DL109 left in museums?

There are no surviving DL109s. They do sell models though.

atsf sp wrote:There are no surviving DL109s. They do sell models though.

No DL109s? How many were built? I might have a modern locomotive on my model railroad into a heritage scheme.