Passenger Cars of the Colorado Central

CC Fleet Information

An overview of what we know about the Colorado Central’s passenger car fleet.

The following topics are covered on this page. You can click on a topic to be taken directly there or simply work your way down the page.
   
NUMBERING How the different owners of the fleet went about numbering them.
COLOR What color(s) they were.
ROSTER A table summarizing certain data for each car.
HISTORY Putting the cars into a brief history of the road.


NUMBERING

At the head of each individual car page are generally five sets of numbers: CCRR, U.P. 1885, UPD&G 1890, C&S 1899 and C&S 1906.

The CCRR number is the original number of the car when it was added to the Colorado Central roster. The Colorado Central Western (i.e., narrow-gauge) Division appears to have numbered its passenger cars pretty much in the order it received them, except that it did so separately for passenger-carrying and non-passenger-carrying cars. Thus it began numbering coaches and combination cars at #1 (and went up to 20), and it began numbering baggage and baggage-mail cars also at #1 (and went up to 5).

The U.P. 1885 number is the number assigned 1 June 1885 by the Union Pacific Railroad, which had taken control of the Colorado Central and a number of other lines. There was much duplication of car numbers between lines, and to put this straight the U.P. renumbered all cars as of this date, publishing a guide book for employees in order to help them maintain proper records. This guide book is the first authoritative information we have on many of these cars, and is the basis for Ehernberger/UP. The U.P. appears to have numbered narrow gauge coaches upward from #50, combination coach-baggage cars upward from #700, excursion cars upward from #800, emigrant and excursion sleepers upward from #900, baggage cars upward from #1000, mail cars upward from #1100, express cars upward from #1200, baggage-mail-express cars upward from #1300, baggage-mail cars upward from #1375 and baggage-express cars upward from #1400. Within types of cars, cars of each of the acquired railroads were numbered together, apparently in blocks by builder.

The UPD&G 1890 number is the number assigned when the Colorado Central became part of the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf Railroad in 1890. The UPD&G apparently retained the U.P. numbers, so where a car has a different number here than in the U.P. 1885 column, it shows it had been rebuilt into another type of car.

Sometimes the UPD&G 1890 number will be rendered as UPD&G 1890/97, as in the case of B-M-X #3, #4 and #5. This indicates that the subject car(s) received the number before the slash in 1890, and the number after the slash in 1897.

The C&S 1899 number is the number assigned when the car/s was/were taken over by the Colorado & Southern in 1899. The C&S numbered its standard gauge passenger cars under #100 and the narrow gauge cars numbers over #100. In the narrow gauge cars, #101 and up were baggage cars, #110 and up were baggage-mail cars, #120 and up were coach-baggage cars, #141 and up were coaches, and #181 and up were excursion coaches.

The C&S 1906 number is the number the C&S assigned when it realized the mistake it made in its original numbering scheme. As time went by, the C&S had acquired more and more standard gauge passenger cars, and it soon approached the #99 limit. Instead of leap-frogging the block of numbers assigned the narrow gauge cars, it renumbered the narrow gauge cars under #100 and the standard gauge cars over #100. But beware lest you think it just dropped the 100 from the narrow gauge car number! That would be too easy. In the 1906 renumbering cars were numbered by type, and within type by length, from shortest to longest; except that coaches were only numbered this way through #62, 43'-0" long. A new group of 14 coaches—apparently the lines better ones—began at #70 and went to #83.

Until recently there was a significant gap in the authority for these car numbers.

We have good  authority for the relationship between the U.P. 1885 and the original CCRR numbers. As noted above, it is based on the Union Pacific’s own printed guide book.

The relationship between the UPD&G 1890 and the U.P. 1885 numbers is based on the reasonable assumption that the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf was too poor to change anything it didnt have to, and so kept the Union Pacific numbers. There appears to be no documentary evidence to either support or contradict this assumption.

There are several well-researched rosters of C&S equipment that relate C&S 1906 numbers to C&S 1899 numbers. These can be found in Ferrell/C&S, Ferrell/SoPk, Poole, Poor and Wagner.

The “gap” was between the C&S 1899 and the DL&G 1889 numbers, for which there seemed to be no documentary evidence. Between a fire destroying the Mechanical Engineer’s office in 1905 and a general housecleaning of “useless” old records in 1921, it seemed nothing had survived (if indeed it ever existed). But recently [January 2006] Hol Wagner shared with us information he had discovered at the Colorado Railroad Museum which bridges the gap. This information will no doubt be disclosed in full in an upcoming book, but in the meantime, it is being incorporated into our car histories as rapidly as we can update them.

COLOR

The following discussion is largely based on two sources, an exhaustive [some might say exhausting] discussion of the subject several years ago on the DSP&P internet discussion group at Yahoo.com, and more recent private communication with restoration color expert Jim Wilke. Since we claim no personal knowledge or expertise in this area, we originally wrote this article with a lot of quotations, trying to credit each authority as they were cited. But in rewriting it to add additional material we found that the information itself was becoming overpowered by the format, so it is now being presented as if we were the know-it-all expert. We’re not, and we want to thank Charlie, Jim, Ken, Richard, and anyone else who may have contributed to this article, knowingly or unknowingly. As always, if you want to clarify, correct or merely comment, please write us. We’d love to hear from you.


There seems to be general agreement that virtually all Colorado Central passenger cars were initially painted what is described as a rich, warm “chocolate” brown. This seems to have been a popular color for both passenger cars and locomotives, and was fashionable from the late 1860s to the early 1880s. It was both a handsome color and one that wore well. [Interesting sidelight: in doing some research of our own, we found that some automakers use a similar color to paint the underside of their automobiles.]

There is quite some discussion as to what constituted “chocolate” brown. During the era in question one didn’t just walk into a paint store and buy a bucket of quality-controlled ready-mixed paint. Car builders mixed their own paints from oils and pigments that were locally available. There was bound to be variation in even “standard” colors.

Jim Wilke has supplied several contemporary formulas for “chocolate” brown:

o   A mixture of carmine and burnt umber
o   French ochre, lamp black and a bit of Indian red
o   Indian red, black and yellow

To give you some idea, while recognizing that computer monitors do not show colors consistently, and eyes do not see colors consistently anyway, to the right is a sample of what one modern supplier calls “Indian red.” It is an earth-tone pigment that appears to our eye, at least, to be a combination of red, purple and brown.

Several model builders have suggested combinations of available paint to approximate “chocolate” brown:

o   Roof Brown with up to 15% Engine Black
o   Floquil [brand] roof brown plus black, with a touch of red

Richard Boulware reported having a wooden record box from the C&S dating to the early 1900s which was painted “a dark, rich and warm brown.” He described this box as being the color of Hershey’s regular milk chocolate.

Depending on the quality of the car, there would have been one to three coats of paint. The paint would have been flat when dry, and would have been rubbed smooth before lettering or other decoration was added. Generally two coats of varnish would then be added, one of rubbing varnish and one of coach varnish. The varnish would have deepened the color, as well as providing a smooth, glossy, watertight finish.

Since varnishes of the day were not UV resist, the varnish would tend to darken with age, and additional coats of varnish could darken the color considerably. How quickly the varnish turned yellow or discolored would depend on the quality of the varnish. Cheap varnish might turn after only a year, but even high quality varnish lasted only two or three years.

Paint shops became quite adept at sanding down or removing the varnish coat without damaging the paint. Then fresh varnish was applied. The process was much like waxing the finish on an automobile, but requiring quite a bit more skill. This method of “renewing” the finish without repainting saved time, money and effort.

But the lifespan of the paint wasn’t indefinite even if protected with several coats of varnish, renewed regularly. Probably six years was maximum. So most of the Colorado Central’s cars, built between 1878 and 1880, were in need of repainting sometime before the Union Pacific renumbering of 1885. And just as the U.P. had adopted a standard numbering scheme by then, so had it adopted standard colors and finishes for all its equipment.

The U.P.’s standard color for passenger equipment was an “olive green.” But as with “chocolate brown,” there was great variation. According to Jim Wilke, “Olive greens were made from lemon chrome or ochre (sometimes both) with Prussian blue and black in equal proportions.”

Ken Martin reports having a paint chip taken from C&S business car #911, which was built by the Denver South Park & Pacific shops in 1878 as that road’s pay car #051. In an e-mail to the DSP&P discussion group at Yahoo.com, he said

“[I] had (an) artist friend (who was doing restoration work at the California RR Museum) analyze it. He has a bottom layer of Brown over a gray primer, it then has a light olive green layer with a coat of varnish. So they were painted brown originally not a tuscan red however this didnt last long before they switched to green. Now dont ask me how to define what the shade of green is because I dont have the artist eye for colour, that’s why I had a friend do it. To me green is green.

Later, Ken adds, “On the paint chip analysis I have from 911 only the first two layers of green have varnish, the rest have none.”

It seems likely DSP&P pay car #051 was painted brown over a gray primer, with several coats of varnish over that. The varnish was probably replaced a few times, then removed altogether about 1885, when DSP&P pay car #051 was repainted the U.P.’s standard “olive green,” probably with several coats of varnish. This varnish may have been replaced a few times. But by the time it became necessary to repaint a second time—likely in the early 1890s—the road was in dire straits and the varnish was not removed before being painted again. This apparently happened a second time, with varnish not being removed. Subsequent paintings were without varnish perhaps because (a) the road wasn’t so particular about the finish on its cars, or (b) it couldn’t afford to be, or (c) the ability to refinish varnish coats had been lost, or (d) paint technology had progressed to the point the varnish coat wasn’t necessary to obtain a glossy finish.

More than likely, a similar scenario played out with regard to all the Colorado Central passenger cars as well, as they passed from that line by bankruptcy to the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf, and thence by bankruptcy again to the Colorado & Southern.

The paint-and-varnish treatment apparently was still being used as late as 1927, as we have seen an internal C&S communication indicating that "Combination 40 is realy [sic] in bad shape for outside paint and roof work" and "I do not know whether we should give the outside regular treatment or simply enamel it at this time. Mr. Mason had in mind paint and varnish as the car has to be burned off." Thus all exterior coating had to be heat-stripped ("burned off") and there was a choice between the "regular treatment" of paint-and-varnish or simply applying enamel.

ROSTER

Explanation of table headings

CC # = Car's original number. Also a link to the page for that car.
1885 # = Number assigned by Union Pacific. Will generally—but not always—be the number later assigned by the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf.
Acq. Date = Date car was acquired. Not necessarily the date it was built.
Orig. Type = Type of car when acquired by CC.
Builder = The car’s builder. Not necessarily whom the car came from.
Length O.E. = Length over end sills. (i.e., length of body exclusive of end platforms)
Win. Pos = “Window positions:” a key for identification. The number of windows the car would have had were none blocked, covered or otherwise missing. This is often—but not always—reflected in the number of clerestory windows.
Note that for baggage and baggage-mail-express cars this column becomes number of baggage (i.e., large) doors. 1=single centered door, 2=twin offset doors.
1906 Type = Type of car when renumbered in 1906 by the C&S.
Term. Year = The year the car was destroyed, sold, dismantled or otherwise “terminated."

CC
  #
1885
  #
C&S
  #
1906
  #
Acq.
Date
Orig.
Type
Builder Length
O.E.
Win.
Pos.
1906
Type
Term.
Year
1 182 Gone Gone 1872 Coach U.P. 35'-2" 13 Gone 1897
2 183 140 Gone 1873 Coach U.P. 35'-2" 13 Gone 1901
3 (189)(a) Gone Gone 1873 Coach C.C. 30'-9" 11 Gone 1880
4 181 Gone Gone 1873 Coach C.C. 30'-9" 11 Gone 1897
5 735 120 21 1877 Comb C.C. 33'-2" 6(b) Comb 1930
6 736 121 20 1878 Comb C.C. 32'-4" 6 Comb 1941
7 180 Gone Gone 1878 Coach C.C. 33'-6" 13 Gone 1885+
8 184 141 53 1880 Coach U.P. 40'-2" 14 Coach 1928
9 185 142 54 1880 Coach U.P. 40'-2" 14 Coach 1928
10 186 143 55 1880 Coach U.P. 40'-2" 14 Coach 1928
11 190 150 30 1879 Chair O.F.C.C. 42'-10" 11/8/6 Comb 1942
12 191 149 61 1879 Chair O.F.C.C. 42'-10" 11 Coach 1939
13-18 820-825 193-198 132-137 1883 Excurs U.P. N/a Observ 1923(e)
19 187 166 82 1884 Coach U.P. 42'-0" 14 Coach 1929
20 188 167 83 1884 Coach U.P. 42'-0" 14 Coach 1929
CC
  #
1885
  #
C&S
  #
1906
  #
Acq.
Date
Orig.
Type
Builder Length
O.E.
Doors 1906
Type
Term.
Year
1 1036 101 3 1873 Bag U.P. 35'-2" 1 Bag 1939
2 1035 Gone Gone 1873 Bag C.C. 26'-2" 1 Gone 1891?
3 1323 110 10 1880 B-M-X U.P. 40'-2" 1 B-M 1929
4 1324 111 11 1880 B-M-X U.P. 40'-2" 1 B-M 1939
5 1325 112 12 1880 B-M-X U.P. 40'-2" 1 B-M 1939
  UPDG  # C&S
  #
1906
  #
Acq.
Date
Orig.
Type
Builder Length
O.E.
Win.
Pos.
1906
Type
Term.
Year
Advance 174 144 Gone 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-7" 12 Burned 1906
Security 175 145 Gone 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-7" 12 Burned 1906
South Park 176 B-1 910 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-5" 14(d) Business 1929
Bonanza 177 146 41 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-5" 12(c) Coach-mail 1929
Rambler 178 147 42 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-7" 12(c) Coach-mail 1929
Leadville 179 148 43 1892 Sleep Pullman 42'-5" 12(c) Coach-mail 1939
  194 168 70 1896 Coach St. Charles 40'-0" 13 Coach 2004+
  195 169 71 1896 Coach St. Charles 40'-0" 13 Coach 1939
  196 170 72 1896 Coach St. Charles 40'-0" 13 Coach 1939
  197 171 73 1896 Coach St. Charles 40'-0" 13 Coach 1939
    172 74 1900 Coach AC&F 40'-0" 13 Coach 1939
    173 75 1900 Coach AC&F 40'-0" 13 Coach 1939
    174 76 1900 Coach AC&F 40'-0" 13 Coach
  UPDG  # C&S
  #
1906
  #
Acq.
Date
Orig.
Type
Builder Length
O.E.
Win.
Pos.
1906
Type
Term.
Year
  826 199 138 1897 Excurs U.P. N/a Observ 1923
    181-192 120-131 1900 Excurs C&S N/a Observ 1923
    200-209 139-148 1903 Excurs C&S N/a Observ 1928

(a)   "Being rebuilt at Omaha" [never returned]
(b)   The early photos of #5 have 8 windows, but two of these are clearly in the baggage compartment (which we do not count on a coach-baggage car).
(c)   As sleeper and then as coach; 9 as coach-mail.
(d)   As sleeper and then as coach; as business 10 right side, 11 left, last window each side a large "observation" window.
(e)   Except #137 destroyed 1912.


Continued

03 June 2007

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