The following is adapted from a circular from the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. I believe the circular was, in turn, adapted from an article which appeared in The Keystone, the magazine of the PRRT&HS.
Buff from c. 1916 until 1960, then light green (except N8's were Buff and Cream until 1960 -- then light green).
"Date" on tracing for the new all-steel N5 cabins. "Issued" one month later (3/20/1914), "Made Standard" (12/30/1915). Although not present on tracing (may have been changed) original color may have been bright red (this assumption is made because of the following item added to tracing 7/9/1915).
"All of the car to be painted Freight Car Color." Although the truck color is not specified on tracing it is assumed that they were painted Black. However, it is safe to assume that sometimes the trucks were painted Freight Car Color, as appears to be the case from some photos.
Roofs of cars (especially N5's) painted Black. Actually, they were not painted, but tarred because of leaks! Some cars are not modified (no leaks!) and others have just the roofs treated (not the cupolas) and, finally, some car roofs are all Black (including cupolas). Confusion resolved in 1955 (see below).
Handholds on car side and vertical corner grabs on end posts to be painted Chrome Yellow (which of the grabs actually get painted varies from shop to shop).
"Shadow Keystone" tracing issued (see below for lettering). Cars again painted Freight Car Color, which is much "redder" than the 1920's-1940's Freight Car Color (see PRRT&HS color drift card for this color, which is accurate for this era). Roof (including cupola) and trucks painted Black (all cars). Safety appliances painted as noted above.
Marking of cupola side sheets added for pool cars (cupola sides painted Chrome Yellow for cars permanently assigned to pool service, yellow donut [2" i.d., 5" o.d.] applied to cupola side sheets for cars temporarily assigned to pool service). Sets record for short lived scheme (see next entry!!!).
"Outline Keystone" (see below) tracing issued. Cars still painted as above, except cupolas on pool cars were entirely Chrome Yellow (including cupola roofs). Same yellow donut for cars temporarily assigned to pool service.
Cupolas on cars assigned to pool service in electrified territory (east of Harrisburg) painted MW Grey.
Cabin car color changed to Focal Orange (also known as Safety Orange). Roofs black, cupolas orange (cupola roofs are painted black on cars except those with "streamlined" cupolas [N5c's, N5e's & N8's], which are overall orange). Safety appliances painted white.
NOTE: All the lettering on the car side is centered on the car body, not the cupola!!! So it appears off-centered on N5's, due to the car's off-center cupola!!!
Original "One Stripe" lettering scheme on N5's. 7" high "PENNSYLVANIA" 10'7" long, 7-1/2" below bottom of side belt rail. 1" wide stripe 2-1/4" below road name and 7" high road number 5" below stripe (20" above side sill). Class, build date and owner in lower left hand corner (2'10" from end, and 6" above side sill), "United States Safety Appliances Standard" in lower right hand corner (2'10" from end, 6" above side sill) with repack date below that. 2" high "P.R.R." and road number stenciled above end door. "COTS" stencil on brake reservoir, as appropriate.
Stencil for passenger service cabins added, "ASSIGNED TO PASSENGER SERVICE AMERICAN RAILWAY EXPRESS" between windows (2" above top of belt rail). Cars for this service were renumbered.
Bowser N Scale #37129 - Shadow Keystone American Express Agency
[Incorrect name by Bowser; has no Shadow Keystone and is assigned to American Railway Express]
"P.R.R." above door changed to "PENN".
"PENN" above door changed back to "P.R.R." (Ties the record for a short-lived scheme!!!)
"Two Stripe" lettering scheme issued. Road name is same, but 1" stripe 3" above it, rooad number 8-1/2" below it, and second 1" stripe 3" below road number. Class, owner, build date and repack stencils moved to right lower corner (these were moved around a bit in some minor revisions not noted). Stencil above end door is unchanged, but reporting marks and road numbers added to one side of center sill, and center bolsters of trucks.
Division assignment added 2" below lower stripe (2" high letters).
"AMERICAN RAILWAY EXPRESS" changed to "RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY, INC." on passenger cabins.
"RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY, INC." changed to "RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY" on passenger cabins.
Reporting marks and road number on center sill, and road number above end doors, deleted.
Division assignment changed to region assignment.
Bowser N Scale N5 #37101 - Original Lettering
Bowser N Scale N5 #37130 - Buy War Bonds
[Would not have been seen much beyond 1945.]
Bowser N Scale N5c #37501 - Original Lettering - Eastern Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37502 - Original Lettering - Western Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37503 - Original Lettering - Central Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37512 - Buy War Bonds
[Would not have been seen much beyond 1945.]
Special lettering scheme adopted for new N8 class based on freight car "Circle Keystone" scheme. "PENNSYLVANIA" between windows (12'11", which is longer than N5 version) with Circle Keystone below, then region assignment, then road numbers, then class, build date, etc. (all centered on side of car). No stripes.
"Shadow Keystone" tracing issued (N5 series steel cars only, not N8's). Shadow Keystone is 2'5-1/2" high, centered between side windows (original keystone extends down over side belt rail). "PENNSYLVANIA" increased to 13" high by 15'4" long, 6" below bottom of side belt rail. Road numbers now 9", placed 6" below road name & region assignment is 3-1/2" tall 6" below road numbers (or 4" above side sill). Build date, class and owner are not changed (lower right side). Center sill stencil and end road numbers reinstated!!! Truck wheel * spring info stenciled on end sills.
Bowser N Scale N5 #37102 - Shadow Keystone
Bowser N Scale N5 #37127 - Shadow Keystone - Assigned to P.S.R.E.
Bowser N Scale N5c #37504 - Shadow Keystone - Pittsburgh Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37505 - Shadow Keystone - Eastern Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37506 - Shadow Keystone - Philadelphia Region
Bowser N Scale N5c #37507 - Shadow Keystone - Buckeye Region
Keystone size changed to 18-21/32" due to problems with stenciling it over the side belt rail as mentioned above. Car end reporting marks & numbers changed to 4" high.
Size of keystone increased (back to original size) and some change to region assignment stencil.
NOTE: Based on photos, it appears that most N5's retained the second, small keystone stencil, however, N5c's, etc. generally had the large keystone stencil.
Road number size changed from 9" to 7" on side of car (7" below road name & 7" above region assignment).
"Outline Keystone" simplified scheme issued (siimilar tracing issued for N8's). Outline Keystone (approx. 25" tall - on some cars a smaller stencil was used) centered between side windows, 10" high road numbers 13" above side sill, region assignment 3" high, and 4" above side sill (no "PENNSYLVANIA" or reporting marks). Other stenciling basically the same but in Futura-like typeface (Gothic Sans Serif). This is the scheme used (with slight modification) until the demise of PRR. Some changes appear to have been made after 1961. The were: Region assignment was dropped (this appears to have happened when the Focal Orange paint scheme was adopted in 1965), PRR initials were added to some cars between the keystone and the road numbers on the sides, and the reporting marks and road number were moved from above the end door to above the right end window. Dates specifying these modifications have not been located.
Bowser N Scale N5 #37103 - New Style Lettering
Bowser N Scale N5c #37509 - Plain Keystone Red Body
Bowser N Scale N5 #37116 - New Style Red & White Cupola [Post 7/1963; pool service, electrified territory]
Bowser N Scale N5 #37120 - New Style Focal Orange [Post 6/1965]
Bowser N Scale N5c #37512 - Plain Keystone Orange Body
[Post 6/1965] WRONG IMAGE!
Bowser N Scale N5 #37125 - Circle Keystone Over PRR [CK not applied to steel cabins]
Bowser N Scale N5 #37126 - Circle Keystone Under PRR [CK not applied to steel cabins]
Copyright 1996 - 2008
Last modified: November 23 2007.
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