Rio Grande paint colors in 1944

A friend of mine said that back in the 1930s or early 40s Model Railroader magazine carried a letter from the D&RGW Chief Mechanical Officer telling what colors they painted their cars and engines.

Well, I opened up the MR's 75 years of scans to see if I could find this. I did not, but I found something else probably just as good. In the September, 1944, issue on page #391 (they number the pages consecutively in each year at that time) they published a Color Chart for the Denver & Rio Grande Western.

Rather than be concerned about copyright issues here is a transcription of the information:

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Steam Locomotives

Cab exterior, black Duco.
Cab interior, medium green.
Cylinders, pilots, running gear, black enamel
Smoke box. fire box, front-end paint
Boiler and cylinder jackets, dark olive green enamel.
Lettering, tire rims. edge of running board, a1uminum paint.
Tender, black Duco.

Diesel Electric Locomotives

Exterior black Dulux.
Exterior lettering and striping, gold Dulux.
Cab interior, engine room. oil engines and accessories. suede-­gray Dulux.
lnterior lettering, black paint: high voltage warning bright red paint

Passenger Equipment

Roof, underframe, underneath equipment. black Duco.
Body, vestibules, trucks, olive green Duco.
Lettering, yellow paint.

Freight Equipment

Body, roof, trucks, box and auto cars, freight car red.
Body, roof, trucks. stock and coal cars, black.
Lettering, white paint.

Work Equipment

Sides and ends, gray paint.
Roof, Aluminum paint
Trucks, underneath equipment, handholds, black paint.
Lettering, black paint.

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Brian Norden