RE: (erielack) Phoebe Snow Passenger Equipment Handrails

["Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>]

Jim,

> Sorry, Joe; I don't have the answers to your question... 
> However, I also have a related query: What about the ends of 
> passenger equipment? Specifically, in my case, the ends of 
> converted troop sleepers and kitchen cars? I know some of the 
> ex-sleepers were done in the G-M-Y scheme (EL Color Guide, p. 
> 31, car #98), but the end color remains difficult to pin 
> down. Some appear maroon, some appear gray, some appear 
> black! Any rhyme or reason to this?

Probably due to road grime. The DL&W's cars had gray ends with the
maroon/yellow stripes wrapping all the way around the ends. EL went to a
more conservative (read: CHEAP) scheme on the ends, and painted the ends of
the cars SOLID MAROON. An excellent photo on George Elwood's site bears this
out:

http://gelwood.railfan.net/pax/el-soyoung.jpg

I have also heard that some cars did get black ends, but I never saw photos
of them (or the gray that you mention). The EL "standard" (ha, ha!) was
solid maroon, however.

As for EL's painting, there really was little rhyme or reason in the 1960s.
Different typefaces, different lettering placements - all their equipment
was quite chaotic (making it hard for those decal makers to keep up with
them! ;)   It seems that the railroad finally buckled down by the early
1970s and must have put down some standards SOMEWHERE, as most of the
oddball variations were gone by then on diesels and cabooses.

	- Paul

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