CN Switcher - what colour?

[spitfire]

Hi folks. I found this picture of a CN Switcher with wet noodle logo (which places it some time after 1960) and red painted cab end.

Here's my question. Did CN use red on cabs in the 1950's? I sure hope so since I think it would look great on my P2K switcher (inset).

Any help would be appreciated.

cheers
Val

 

[MasonJar]

Hi Val,

I think that CN was still working with the beautiful green and gold in the 50's. (can you see my bias coming...?).

Anyway, here's a link to CN's web site with information on their logo, but not the paint scheme specifically. THey do have Pantone colour matches for the logo colours though...!

http://www.cn.ca/companyinfo/history/en_AboutLogo.shtml

I think the "straight wafer" on the leaf was then imposed on a black circle which would then be put over the green part of the car (at least on passenger cars).

I don't think the red and black (and then the zebra stripes) came into play until after 1960, as part of the redesign that includes "the noodle".

Andrew

 

[Pete]

Check out the following link for some pics...there are a few switchers which have red cabs, at least when they were photographed.
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/othen/rrpics.htm

Pete

edit: I should have checked that link first ..it wasn't the one I was thinking of.
Try this one: http://bswitzer.railfan.net/
Here's links to a couple of SW1200 on that one:
http://bswitzer.railfan.net/cgi/imageshow.cgi?image=/photos/cn/sw1200/cn1389&1391.jpg
http://bswitzer.railfan.net/cgi/imageshow.cgi?image=/photos/cn/sw1200/cn1391.jpg

 

[MasonJar]

#7023

I think that is the number I read on the side of your green and gold loco, but the info doesn't seem to match at

http://www.trainscan.com/cnlines/cycl/loco/loco_r.html

Take a look at the site anyway. CN lines is wealth of information.

I think the roster in the link above gives the last paint scheme the loco wore, not what it had at specific times in its life.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

EDIT:

Val,

Take a look here: http://members.fortunecity.com/rrpics/old liveries/oldliv.htm and scoll down about 1/3 of the way to "2) on Canadian National"

Andrew

 

[spitfire]

Thanks for the links Andrew and Pete. I had a chance to ask my LHS guy over the weekend and he said the red cab didn't come into being until the "new" wet noodle logo in 1960.

At first it was just the end of the cab painted red, then they added red to the front of the engine, then they went to entire cab painted red. I have no idea what dates these were, but it looks like I'm outta luck on the red cab in the mid-fifties.

Oh well - I might just go ahead and paint it red anyway - and let the Time Police do their worst. They're only HO scale guys anyway, and even in their little cop-cars they'll never catch up to me!!!!

cheers
Val

 

[MasonJar]

Industrial switcher?

Would an industrial (i.e. works for a specific company) switcher be appropriate to your layout? Or is it a CN yard where the action is going on?

It's funny - I am having mixed feelings about you painting the green and gold - I guess it is the rivet counter in me. 'course I am building a Galloping Goose for my Southern / Eastern Ontario 1920's layout - and that's not even close to being right!!

Go figure...

Andrew

 

[spitfire]

Andrew my friend, set your mind at rest - it is not the green and gold paint scheme that I have. My switcher is the P2K SW900 and is dark grey in colour, with a narrow band of yellow containing the words Canadian National. I'll post a pic when I have a little more time.

As far as the "yard" is concerned, it is really just a small industrial area (around Toronto's waterfront) and presumably could have been switched by either CN or CP or a leased unit. I'm told Toronto didn't have industry-owned locos which is why I abandoned that idea. It's funny which prototype things I am a stickler about and which ones I'm ready to ignore. Sounds like you're a little that way too, hehehe.

Basically this area will be the first in operation on my layout. That switcher as is seems a little boring looking to me, and I'm just trying to find a way to make it look a little cooler.

cheers
Val

 

[MasonJar]

Originally posted by spitfire
It's funny which prototype things I am a stickler about and which ones I'm ready to ignore. Sounds like you're a little that way too, hehehe.

Yup - that's the beauty of being the master/mistress of your own little universe - the power to change the history of the world... so to speak.

I was never really big on the diesel engines, but this has been interesting.

Thanks Val!

Andrew