The Espee Archive
1853 - 1996

formerly Richard Percy's Espee Modeler's Archive

Southern Pacific Diesel Locomotive Paint Schemes

1939 - 1944
Black and Aluminum Bronze

• Electro-Motive Corporation erected SW1 (six hundred horsepower, welded frame) demonstrator #804 that was released for trial on the Southern Pacific on 7 February, 1939.
• SP was pleased with the trial and ordered six additional units for delivery in November 1939.
• Eventually, SP would own fifteen SW1 units built between 1939 and 1941.
• #804 was painted in solid black with a two-inch Aluminum Bronze accent striping just below the cab window, and four-inch stripping on the frame.
• A two-inch letter "F" was applied to the forward flank designating the front of the locomotive.

• SW1 #804 was purchased by Southern Pacific on 1 April, 1939.
• SP assigned it locomotive #1000
• SP modified the paint scheme by adding number figures and Roman lettering in Aluminum Bronze
  • added "Southern Pacific Lines" in nine-inch lettering on the locomotive sides
  • on the side of the cab under the window, added fifteen-inch figures for the locomotive number
  • on the lower side of the cab, locomotive data was added in two-inch figures and lettering: DES-40 8 1/2 x 10 / 600 198
  • on the back of the cab, under the roofline, added six-inch figures for the locomotive number and two-inch letters for the initials "S P"
  • on the front nose, added six-inch figures for the engine number
• added the following equipment: headlight indicators

Locos known to have appeared in this scheme:

• SP - SW1, NW2, S-1, S-2, DS-660 (VO-660), DS-1000 (VO-1000), HH-660, HH-1000, GE 44-tonner.
• T&NO - SW1, S-1, S-2.

Known Variations:

• On the taller hood Baldwin's and ALCo's, the pin-stripe on the hood didn't extend to the cab-side or back, as it would have gone through the cab window opening.

St. Louis Southwestern:

St. Louis Southwestern's first diesel switchers were Baldwin DS-1000's #1000 - 1008 (also listed as VO-1000). Delivered in 1942, they were painted Purple and Aluminum with Yellow pin-striping and Purple lettering, or Royal Blue and Aluminum with Yellow pin-striping and Purple lettering. It has been described both ways so obviously was open to interpretation. The only ones such painted, they had St. Louis Southwestern lettering, and a Cotton Belt logo at the bottom of the cab-side. See photo on page 168 of the book, Southern Pacific Dieselization.

The remaining DS-1000's, (VO-1000's) #1009 - 1022 were delivered in yet another scheme, of Gray and Yellow with Red striping and Yellow lettering. These were lettered St. L.S-W. still with the Cotton Belt logo at the bottom of the cab-side. See page 170 of the book, Southern Pacific Dieselization.

The FT diesel locomotives were the first main-line power delivered to the System. Five sets of FT ABBA units were delivered during 1944 wearing light gray paint with yellow wings, set off with red pinstriping and trim.

In August 1944, SP introduced Early Tiger Stripes.

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