Re: Period Paint Schemes

Andrew Davis Wrote:
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> First off, locomotive color schemes. I'd like to
> try and be as true to Fallberg's cartoons as
> possible and have colorful and whimsical paint
> shcemes, but still have them be historically
> authentic.

You'll pretty much get one or the other, not both. See Randy Hees's excellent post above. The site he links (PacificNG) is a genuine treasure trove of 19th century era information. Modern people sometimes forget that while technology changes, humans stay the same, and 130 years ago people still had their fads and rapidly changing fashion senses just like people today. As such, paint styles popular in the 1860's didn't necessarily look at all much like styles popular by the mid 1870's.

The farther back you go the closer you'll get to what you want. Forget narrow gauge for a moment. If you go back to the 1850's, garish and kitschy paint was popular. You actually can find some paint styles not *too* dissimilar from what you posted. Color lithographs of the period might be helpful; I'll link you a site that has some posted.

[bibliodyssey.blogspot.com]

If you want to maintain the bright and clashing color patterns in a later setting, you'll probably have to explain it away as retro or old-fashioned tastes of your railroad's management.