N&W Blue

[NW Mailing List]

Somewhere in the Archives is the N&W instructions to the Decatur Shops as to
how to use up the large, on-hand supply of WABASH blue paint in the Decatur
stores by mixing in some black paint.  I do not recall where this is now as
it was some time ago that I came across this info.  The black-and-Wabash
Blue mix was a tone not unlike the 'Pevler' blue but different.  Presumably
anything going through the Decatur paint shop used this blue mix until the
old stock of paint was used up.

 

Gary Rolih

Cincinnati

 

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 5:26 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: RE: N&W Blue

 

Wabash Blue like N&W Blue can seem to vary with age, cleanliness, lighting,
and such (from looking at pictures).  Overall, Wabash Blue appears to be a
lighter shade than N&W Blue.  This appears especially to be the case in
pictures of "new" U-25Bs and GP-35s.  As for N&W units delivered "new" in
N&W Blue:

 

.         All 1300 series GP-40s were delivered in Blue (this would be all
N&W GP-40s)

.         All 1500 and 1600 series SD-40s were delivered in Blue (this would
be all N&W SD-40s)

.         All 1700 and 1800 series SD-45s were delivered in Blue (this would
be all N&W SD-45s)

.         All 1900 series U-28Bs were delivered in Blue (this would be all
N&W U-28Bs)

.         All 1900 series U-30Bs were delivered in Blue (8400-8514  were
black with "half-moons" and 8515-8539 were black with NW) 

.         C-628s - 1110-1129, the second order of C-628s, were delivered in
Blue (the first order 1100-1109 were black with "half-moons")

.         All 1100 series C-630s were delivered in Blue (this would be all
N&W C-630s)

 

Ed Painter - Narrows, VA living in Russellville, AR

 

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 10:12 AM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: N&W Blue

 

Again, I agree with Bill. I seem to remember that the N&W blue was not the
same shade as Wabash blue anyway. But the cabooses definitely looked the
same blue as the C&O cabooses, and all the stripes were similar. BTW:
Richard Shell is right about the SD40's being blue, but the first ones were
not delivered until May of 1966.    Jim Nichols

 

  _____  

From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 9:02:24 AM
Subject: N&W Blue

The point of my post about the blue was more about history than paint.  I
have never seen any evidence that the change to blue had anything to do with
Mr. Pevler and the Wabash, other than the obvious time period. But there is
ample evidence that it had everything to do with the proposed merger,
including reports in the railfan press at the time of the merger proposal.
Maybe the N&W would have switched to blue under Mr. Pevler in any event, but
with its arch-rival C&O already blue, that seems unlikely.

The two roads adopted a common blue "paint scheme" for locomotives and
cabooses. I have no idea what the specs were for the two blues, much less
for the Wabash blue. And in any event, if folks want to call it Pevler Blue,
that's OK.

Bill McClure

  _____  

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