GG1 - Paint Schemes

These paint schemes represent the major variations of the locomotive's appearance over the course of it's operational life. Colors are approximate. Greens are lighter than the acutual colors to contrast from the black units. Numbers on pictured units are not necessarily approprate.

Early Prototype Scheme

1934 PRR:

• Dark Green, block pinstriping, small number keystone

1934:

• #4899/#4800 only. (unit changed numbers in this scheme)

Developed by the PRR, this scheme predates the Loewy design. A similar design was used on the R1 experimental.

Late Prototype Scheme

1935 PRR:

• Dark Green, Wide 5 gold pinstripes and gold sans-serif Futura lettering, small number keystone

#4800 only, through at least 1937.
First to be based on the Loewy design, but would later be refined on production units.

Loewy Scheme

1935 PRR:

• Dark Green, 5 gold pinstripes and gold sans-serif Futura lettering, small number keystone

All units at production except #4800, #4800 sometime after 1937.
The scheme as Loewy envisioned it.

Feathered Scheme

1937 PRR:

• Dark Green, 5 gold pinstripes feathered together and gold sans-serif Futura lettering, small number keystone

#4829 is only confirmed unit.
This may have been and experimental variation to try to avoid the problems of painting over the intake vents on the locomotive's sides.

Modified Loewy Scheme

1941 PRR:

• Dark Green, 5 gold pinstripes and gold serif Clarendon lettering, small PRR keystone

Most units.
Most fans consider this an improvement on Loewy's conception. Why Pennsy decided to change is unclear. Most other locomotive types did wear serif lettering.

Modified Loewy Scheme in Red

1952 PRR:

• Tuscan Red, 5 gold pinstripes and gold serif Clarendon lettering, small PRR keystone

1952:

• #4908 - #4913

1953:

• #4876, #4856, #4857 and #4929

These few units were painted to match special red coach consists.

Broadband Scheme

1955 PRR:

• Dark Green, thick yellow stripe and larger yellow serif Roman lettering, large PRR keystone

#4885 followed by most units, including some single stripe tuscan and all single stipe silver.
This was the defacto GG1 scheme for the late 50's and early 60's.

Broadband Scheme in Red

1955 PRR:

• Tuscan Red, thick yellow stripe and larger yellow serif Roman lettering, large PRR keystone

1955:

• #4907 and #4916

As before, a few units were repainted to match special red coach consists.

Broadband Scheme – Congressional

1955 PRR:

• Silver, thick red stripe and larger black serif Roman lettering, large PRR keystone

1955:

• #4866, #4872 and #4880

A few units were repainted to match the coaches on the Congresional train. This and the green and tuscan broadband schemes used plates to cover over part of the radiatior on the side above the numbers. Three years later some units began to recieve new intakes behind the classification lights and most of those had their old intakes welded over.

Modified Loewy Scheme Holdover

1968 PC:

• Dark Green, 5 gold pinstripes and gold serif Clarendon lettering, small white PC herald

#4801 is only confirmed unit.

PC, without money, usually just blanked out the previous owner and painted PC herald on instead. This only surviving five striper was painted over in PC black.

Broadband Scheme Holdover

1968 PC:

• Dark Green, thick yellow stripe and larger yellow serif Roman lettering, small white PC herald

#4840, #4883, #927 (PRR#4934) and presumably #4844 and #929 (PRR#3938) retained this scheme at least into their PC days.

Another PC holdover. A few of these units may have also received white numbering as well.

Broadband Scheme Holdover in Red

1968 PC:

• Tuscan Red, thick yellow stripe and larger yellow serif Roman lettering, small white PC herald

It is doubtful that any Tuscan reds made it into the PC era.
Another PC holdover.

American Railroads Centenial Scheme

1969 PC:

• Blue, low yellow stripe yellow serif lettering, no herald

#4902 only.

This one of a kind scheme celebrates the centenial of the driving of the golden spike in 1869.

Midnight Scheme

ca. 1970 PC:

• Black, white block or serif lettering and large PC herald

Most units, except those left in dark green.

PC's defacto scheme was about as coloful and appealing as the company itself.

Broadband Scheme Holdover

1976 Conrail:

• Dark Green, single yellow stripe with CR instead of the keystone

#4844 is the only unit known to have retained this scheme under Conrail.

Conrail's turn to paint over someone else's herald.

Midnight Scheme Holdover

1976 Conrail:

• Black, white block lettering

Most units as inherited from PC.
Another Conrail paintover.

Bicentenial Scheme

1976 Conrail:

• Red sides, blue hoods and Bicentenial markings

#4800 only.
Another one of kind scheme, this time for the US Bicentenial in 1976.

Conrail Blue Scheme

ca. 1978 Conrail:

• blue, white curved block text, large CR herald

#4800 only known unit.
Conrail's defacto scheme, applied to very few locos.

Broadband Scheme Holdover

1971 Amtrak:

• Dark Green, thick yellow stripe white block lettering

#929 at least retained thie PRR scheme into its Amtrak days.
Amtrak's turn to paint over a herald.

Midnight Scheme Holdover

1971 Amtrak:

• Black, white block lettering

Most Amtrak units retained thier PC black.

Another Amtrak paintover.

Savings Bond Scheme

?? Amtrak:

• Black, white block lettering, no Amtrak lettering

Most units retained thier PC black.
Yet another one of a kind. Amtrak gets to be a governmental billboard.

Amtrak 1 stripe Scheme

ca. 1975 Amtrak:

• Silver with red hoods, thick blue stripe, black block lettering

#902, #905 (#4905), #906 (#4906), #909 (#4909), #924 (#4924), #926 (#4926) and #927 (#4927).
Amtrak's defacto scheme.

Broadband Scheme Holdover

1981 NJT:

• Dark Green, thick yellow stripe

#4880 and #4883 at least retained this PRR scheme into thier NJT days.
NJT had no defacto scheme for the GG1s, but ran them longer than Amtrak or Conrail. They blanked the prior owner and only added some text under the number.

Midnight Scheme Holdover

1981 NJT:

• Black, white block lettering

#4875, #4879, #4881, #4882 and presumably the rest of the NJT units wore PC black.
Another NJT repaint.

Special thanks for sources and drawings to:

http://www.spikes.com/GG1/