On what persent were the Souther Diesels durrint the 50-60 era were painted in the Tuxedo paint sceam and what persent of the diesels were painted in the Green & white paint sceam?

-- Greg (Southern4501@hotmail.com), December 11, 2001

Answers

Bob--the green paint scheme you describe was not introduced until after ther creation of Amtrak which I think was April 1971. Since the Southern kept it's passenger trains Claytor decided to go back to the green paint scheme so strongly identified with Southern passenger locos in the steam era and the 1950s--Larry

-- Larry Puckett (ljpuckett@comcast.net), June 04, 2003.

Essentially 100 percent of SR locomotives were painted green and imitation aluminum during the 1950s. THe black and imitation aluminum paint scheme was introduced late in 1958 and it took several years before they were all repanted. I have seen photos of green locos as late as 1964. The mainline passenger locos were repainted quite quickly--Larry

-- Larry Puckett (ljpuckett@starpower.net), December 11, 2001.

At some time, in the late 60's I believe, W. Graham Claytor, COB, brought some much-needed class back to passenger service when Southern repainted the E-8's and FP-7s back in the Virginia green that was used originally. I used to watch quartets of E's on the Crescent roll by my house every evening and morning in Alexandria, VA.

Bob

-- Bob Ayers (rrayers@hotmail.com), June 04, 2003.