UPDATE *** Ed King Book ***

[NW Mailing List]

Jim

I am the one who did the colorization on the photo and design of the cover. While I do not consider myself an expert, I have studied this in a lot of depth, here is my explanation. 

I will say that one person whom I do consider as an N&W lettering expert is Charlie Schlotthober. Charlie does not do email, and therefore not on the list, but I believe he will agree with my following assessment.

The photo is in the as delivered scheme for the 888, which is a Class W, not a G, which Ed has in the book. The 888 was delivered in November 1902. 

The blueish cast is to simulate Russia Iron, as there are no color images available from that time, I worked on the descriptions of equipment of its age and colorations in lithographs of other locomotives.

To be honest, I’ve never heard of white lettering on the tenders, it was gold leaf or yellow-gold paint to everthing I’ve ever seen. Can you please show me a reference to white paint? None of the small number of photos available to me, indicate the use of white on locomotives as I never see it with any streaking from it and it all seems to have some texture or slight marks indicating a tone. 

The N&W, heavily influenced by the Pennsy at the time, I feel sure that the Pennsy used gold, at least a gold leaf for some time, until the cost of that was too high (see below). Then paint afterward.

I’ll quote the opening paragraphs in Tom Dressler’s article “Steam Locomotive Lettering, The evolution of that "N&W Look” in the July-August 1997 Arrow.

<<From the late 1800s to 1921, Norfolk And Western steam power was identified with eight inch-high, gold tender-side NOR­FOLK & WESTERN lettering with match­ing cab-side numbers. Note the use of the ampersand instead of the word "AND”. 

However, N &W Motive Power Department Notice No. 936, dated April 18, 1921, changed this standard lettering scheme as follows: 
"In the interest of economy, it has been decided to omit the stencilling "Noifolk & Western" on each side of ten­der tank and stencil the initials N&W on the rear end of tank just under stencilled coal capacity, shown on drawings B-12095, revised April 12, 1921. 
"The stencilling on each side of tank is not to be removed, but is not to be per­petuated. >>

Now, in Charlie Schlotthober’s excellent article in the January-March 2007 issue of the Arrow entitled "N&W's 1941 Modernization of Tender Lettering” he quotes from correspondence in the files started on the 24th of January 1941:

<<In regard to the color of the lettering, Mr. Smith asked: 

"Why do you think we should use gold colored lettering for the freight engines and aluminum col­ored lettering for the passenger locomotives?” 

Mr. R. G. Henley, (Superintendent of Motive Power) responded a few days later with this:

<<"Prior to 1903, we used gold leaf for stencilling and striping our locomotive cabs and tenders. I am told by some of the older employees, although we have nothing in the record, that during that year it was decided, on account of the expense of the gold leaf, to use gold enamel on freight locomotives and silver leaf on passenger locomotives. That practice has been followed since that time, except aluminum paint has been substituted for the silver leaf. 

I know of no particular reason why we should have a different color for the letters on passenger locomotives than on the freight locomotives, and there is no reason why it should be continued. The expense is the same.”>>

So, that is why I chose the gold lettering on the 888 from 1902. Does this answer your question? 

Best
Ken Miller

> On Jan 7, 2022, at 9:44 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Just looked at the snippet of Ed K's book in TAF and the cover caught my eye.  Looks like someone took the liberty of colorizing a B&W photo of a G.  Makes for pretty highlights, but I question the lettering color.  Don't know the date for the photo but it is in the old "&" scheme.  To my knowledge, when they were using periods at the ends of the words, they used white paint.  Again, I don't know the timeline for changing to gold or the date for the photo used, but would hope that whoever did the colorization would have done the research to insure its correctness.  Since the book has not been printed yet, there would seem to be time to correct this point if it is in error.  I know we have some folks that are knowledgeable and have documentation for dates for lettering schemes.  Let's hear from the experts.
> Jim Cochran