ATSF NW2 Paint Scheme

[Anonymous]

I am in search of pictures of this switcher used by the ATSF RR. I am in the process of painting a USA Trains NW2 to the correct colors as used by the Santa Fe RR During the late 40's and early 50's. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

[Sperandeo]

Hello Andy,

The paint shceme for these engines changed in 1950 or shortly afterwards, so you need to decide which one you want to do. In the 1940s AT&SF switchers were black with aluminum (silver) stripes around the top of the hood and along the side sills. The initials "A.T.&S.F." were painted in aluminum along the top of the hood above the stripe, with a square blue-and-aluminum below, and the numbers were painted in aluminum on the sides of the cab. The number also appeared in raised metal numerals on the front of the hood and the rear of the cab, next to the headlights.

In 1950 the GP7 deliveries began and these engines introduced an aluminum safety stripe scheme known as "zebra striping." The switchers began receiving a version of this scheme shortly afterwards. They were still black and the hood stripe and lettering remained the same, but the safety stripes wrapped around the front of the hood and the pilot, ran back along the side sills, and wrapped around the cab and rear pilot.

There's a photo of a Santa Fe NW2 in the older scheme on page 72 of the December 1979 MODEL RAILROADER; another is on page 42 of the "MODEL RAILROADER Cyclopedia, Vol. 2 – Diesel Locomotives." The same book has a photo of a Santa Fe SW900 in the zebra-stripe scheme on page 15.

Good luck with your NW2,

Andy Sperandeo
Editor
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine