I am detailing the interiors of my NYC 20th Century Limited circa 1948-55. Can anyone tell me the colors used for flooring, walls, bulkheads and seats during this time frame. Thank you
This link may help........
http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/20th-century-limited-interior-colors
Cheer, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi, Bear
I looked at the link you provided and there is some good info there but some of the photos were provided by posters that are a little off-base.
You have to be careful with Hollywood creations. Old Al Hitchcock used a Southern Pacific stand-in diner for the North By Northwest movie mentioned in the thread. Some of the other shots at that discussion are of the restored Hickory Creek which, although close, does have some variations from the 1948 scheme.
I don't have time at the moment but I have a 1948 color brochure that I can perhaps scan and post soon.
Henry Dreyfuss used earth-tones almost exclusively. Railway Age mentioned the Lookout Lounges having light green ceiling, facing the rear was a bright red sofa with four gun-metal leather covered chairs then two sofas upholstered in soft grey-beige fabric. Carpet was in shades of rust and maroon.
Diners featured stylish partitions in broad stripes of horizontal silver-gray and maroon.
There's more but time does not permit me to continue at the moment.
Even many of the "artist's conceptions" varied quite a bit from reality since this artwork could be made up months—if not years—before actual construction.
I'll try to dig up a little more for you soon... Ed
Here's two photos to get you started...
In the first you are standing in the observation "Lookout Lounge" of one of the Creek cars with the round-end behind you. There are a pair of outward facing settees behind you out of view in dark teal leather.
And here is the full diner, looking toward the kitchen-dorm. There are automatic doors between this car and the kitchen so waiters could carry trays unimpeded between cars. The column partitions were an attempt to break up the "tunnel effect" of the long dining area. New York Central designers seemed to like the serpentine seating shown in the middle section of the car where diners faced eachother across the aisle.
NYC photo by Ed Nowak
The Pullman sleepers were primarily done in buff with accents of blue-green (the room doors) and some partitions in a salmon (think Pepto-Bismal!) maroon carpeting and upholstery in either blue-green, henna (light maroon) or steel gray.
There are quite a few books on the Century and "The Great Steel Fleet" but one of the best showing many interior shots, mostly of Budd equipment but some Pullman) get a copy of Geoffrey H. Doughty's Through Passenger Service In Color: Volume I Hope and Glory 1943-1950. Quite a few color shots of many New York Central locomotives as well.
In my wiew the NYC had three levels of equipment "decor" with, of course, the Century being at the top. The Commodore Vanderbilt, Southwest Limited, New England States and Empire State Express and a few others were "tier II" with simpler color schemes and an abundance of wood veneer paneling. Then, still, a more basic plan for trains like the Pacemaker, Ohio State Limited and Wolverine which consisted primarily of basic creams and white with maroon or dark green upholstery, more linoleum than carpeting. You can see these variations presented in the book mentioned above.
Hope this helps you with your "Century" I haven't started on mine yet. I cringe at the thought of prying off all those Walthers roofs! I have to hand it to MTH. They got the 1938 Century and 1941 ESE done very nicely with the interior colors very close. They even have table lamps in the lounges!
In the late 1950s the Century was combined with the Commodore Vanderbilt and carried coaches for the first time ever! You can usually spot this era by the Budd equipment toward the head of the train. Around 1961 NYC "refurbished" the Century with slightly simpler interior colors and, for a while, ran the train as All Pullman once again.
Happy modeling, Ed