A little Q about the SP "Black Widow" colour scheme...

[Kozzie]

[:I][:I] Did SP use the 'Black Widow" colour scheme at the same time as the "red nose" [:I] (I don't know it's accepted name) scheme, or was it used before, and then replaced by "red nose"? Maybe to cut costs?

I reckon the "Black Widow" scheme looks very classy, especially on an E or F unit....

Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave--

During the SP's transition (more schizophrenic?) period, the original "Black Widow" scheme that was being phased out due to cost (you were right on that one--SP was consolidating a number of different locomotive paint schemes that were costly to maintain) ran side-by-side with the new, simpler "Red Nose" gray scheme, as well as with some other experimental schemes such as the so-called "Halloween" scheme (black with an orange nose). Many rail buffs and SP fans refer to the red/gray as the "bloody nose" paint scheme (of which there are several variations).

The "Black Widow" scheme showed up on F, FP and road switchers (in several variations).

The E's & PAs were generally Daylight (except the early Golden State E7's--repainted later-- and early COSF units), but a few got the Halloween scheme before the red nose took over.

Switch and yard engines were an entirely different paint scheme or two or six.....

There are lots of SP books with photos of transition locomotive consists with all schemes showing. For example Steve Goen's new book on the T&NO (excellent by the way) on page 83 shows a lineup of 3 E units on the Sunset -- Daylight A, Halloween A and gray B.

The Cotton Belt, of course, had its own slightly different variations (look for the yellow handrails and grabs, among other things, and the two Daylight PAs and pax cars with silver roofs, plus the SP group's only GP7, painted Daylight no less!, and the one-and-only Daylight-painted FP7).

And, yes, that original black paint scheme did look pretty good.

BTW, FYI the Pacific lines (west of El Paso) locomotives were numbered differently from the T&NO (east of ELP) locomotives, and generally stayed in their own territory until the two companies were consolidated in 1961. Pacific Lines wore 4 digits and T&NO wore 3.

[Kozzie]

drephpe - thanks for that! I didn't know there was a "Halloween" scheme with orange.
Was the "Halloween" orange similar to the orange in the horizontal band on Western Pacific diesel locos? I like that WP orange...I'm big on colours (you think?) heh heh

Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave--

I don't have the paint spec, but to the eye it looks about the same as the orange used on the nose stripes in the original Black Widow scheme.

SP used this color in their switcher tiger stripes and solid orange switcher noses.

[Kozzie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by drephpe

Dave--

I don't have the paint spec, but to the eye it looks about the same as the orange used on the nose stripes in the original Black Widow scheme.

SP used this color in their switcher tiger stripes and solid orange switcher noses.

Oh yes! I've seen pictures of those switchers with the orange tiger stripe noses.
Would be quite visible for safety, which I suppose was the whole point of the stripes heh heh. (thanks for your patience everyone..)

Dave