The Espee Archive
1853 - 1996

formerly Richard Percy's Espee Modeler's Archive

Southern Pacific Diesel Locomotive Paint Schemes
Black Widow


In 1947, the black widow paint scheme arrived on the F3 road units that were delievered that year.
All new road units would arrive in this paint scheme until 1958.
In 1953, SP decided the roadswitchers would wear a similar paint scheme.
Several of the passenger F-units also wore this paint scheme.
Some locomotives never received either the Halloween or the Bloody Nose paint schemes, and remained in the Black Widow paint scheme until 1971. Check photographs for visual proof.

The paint scheme was briefly replaced in 1958 on some diesel locomotives with the Halloween paint scheme

Modeling the Black Widow paint scheme

Black
Aluminum
Daylight red
Daylight orange

Decals are recommended for the wings on the nose of a road unit, whether it was an F-unit or a hood unit locomotive.

Return to Paint Schemes
Home Steam Loco Index SP MoW Index Diesel Loco Index Diesel Roster Index
Freight Car Index Passenger Car Index Structure Index Depot Index
Caboose Index DRGW Index Miscellaneous Freight Car Spec Sheets
Data Index PicIndex Diesel Model Info
This document prepared and maintained by Chris and David Coscia
This document © 1995-2023. Richard.A.Percy
This document © December 2023. Coscia & Coscia
27 January 2024