Solid Gray DL&W F3A?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 32&nseq=51

For some reason I can't find any information on the 4th Unit in the consist, Which is solid gray. Is this just primer or was it an actual scheme being considered (Possibly to cut costs of repaints?)

If it was an actual scheme, How many units were in this solid gray livery? Numbers?

When was it (Or they) painted in this livery and how long did they last? Into E-L?

Anyone have a better view of this unit?

Thanks
Alek S

Alex,

DL&W did have 4 EMD cab units that were just standard gray, no stripes. They had just maroon lettering and
numbers, along with the nose herald. There is a picture of F-3 #656 on page 18 of David Sweetland's Lackawanna
Railroad In Color from Morning Sun Books. Perhaps that's they trailing unit in that photo's consist?

Charlie

So the scheme was basically like this? LOL

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 115&nseq=0

Thanks for the information.

Alek S

Yep! Pretty ugly, don't ya think? Actually, the one in Sweetland's book had slight
differences. Shown from the fireman's side, "Radio", also in maroon lettering was
below the window a bit above the front trucks. Also, the number was on the nose
just below the headlight, painted in white and also reflectorized, like the LV did
with their cab units.

Lackawanna--from what I understand, didn't keep those four units that way for long.

Thank goodness!

Charlie

Yeah - Just when I was thinking how weird it would have been if E-L adopted the Erie Black & Yellow rather than the DL&W gray/maroon/yellow (Which I find a bit more attractive)...This would have been a MUCH, MUCH worse alternative!

If I'm not mistaken, EL did just that for a short while - adopted the Erie black/yellow. Something like six months, which was barely enough time to paint a handful of engines.

If I remember right, I believe the first set of Erie-Lackawanna's (yes, WITH the hyphen!) Alco freight units
were delivered in this black/yellow paint scheme. I think it was the C424 series of engines.

I want to take a quick look back through my books and will come back with more details.

Charlie

**Edit: My reference for this was "Erie Lackawanna Trackside with The McCarthy's" from Morning Sun.

The C424 Alco Century set (numbered 2400's) of new locomotives delivered in 1963 were shipped from Schenectady in that
black/yellow freight paint-scheme.

Judging from the dated photos in this book, some of the cab-units, RS-3's and GP-7's were also painted (or re-lettered in
some cases) in the same scheme. For the most part, it seems the majority of the power repainted around 1965 or '66 and after
were in maroon/gray/yellow paint.**

Charlie, for some reason I never really thought about the EL Centuries when I made that statement but yeah! Interesting.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/el2405ajh.jpg

Quite a few units were repainted in the original black / yellow scheme, including painted new was the entire C424 fleet, which was quickly repainted into the new G/Y/M. Thg older B/Y scheme hung on some units till 1970-71 era for sure on some GP7's. The first G/Y/M unit I saw was in May 1965, a GP-7, probably 1243. I fell in love ! Great Scheme.

On talking to my uncle who lived along the Utica Branch in Hubbardsville I asked him years ago about DL&W diesel colors and he said they had units that looked ugly, like they were ex-military or something. He died many moons ago but I have often wondered if perhaps he had seen one of those gray units.

Note also that early G/Y/M units had the lettering in maroon above the maroon band, not yellow lettering in the maroon band. I'm sure that with a little internet sleuthing that images can be found. I think at least the first order of GP35's and maybe the first order of U25's were in this scheme with what I think is some sort of a Roman Style font. Not being a modeler I don't usually pick up these nuances or fonts / terms but check out pictures of G/Y/M units in 1965-66 era and you will note what I am talking about.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/el2552age.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a link to a photo of a GP35 in that early Gray, Yellow, Maroon scheme with the maroon lettering in the gray carbody.

and one of the early U25B's: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/el2503blb.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The grey was an economy move during the recession in 1958 or so.

DL&W had three major paint schemes - the passenger colors G/M/Y with wide side band; on some frieght cab units a variation with narrower maroon band, and freight hood units were just black with yellow lettering.