OK I know the numbers are wrong. I am working on those. But what was the colour scheme of UP cabooses during the steam/early diesel period. Can anybody help me??
Tough to call. That particular caboose would have been pre WWII, and originally caboose red;
It was after WWII that the railroads started painting cabeese in colors other than red, the UP engines were typically yellow and gray with red lettering, the caboose yellow with red roofs, lettering, trim, and ladders;
So for that one either all red or yellow and red would be correct. Don't really matter since you KNOW I'm just gonna vandalize it with PO&N green, yellow, rust, grease and grime!
That's one of the things that drive preservation societies and museums to distraction - color (sorry, "colour") photography didn't become really common until the '60s, and the early color photo technology tended to fade the colors rather quickly. Trying to repaint something as it was in 1950 is really tough when most period photos were black and white, and the few color shots you can find don't necessarily show the correct color.
You make the models, let the repainters worry about the paint, isn't that the whole point of the kit?
One suggestion, even tho these are American engines and cars, you should put a teapot on the stove inside the caboose with a tightly furled 'brolly leaning in one corner, just to let the colonials know who's THE MAN!
Originally, the CA-1, CA-2 and prior UP cabooses were Tuscan/boxcar red. The CA-3 was done in Tuscan, with a black roof until their rebuild/refits in the late 50's. Early refits had an armour yellow body with a maroon roof. That didn't last long, and the roofs became black or Tuscan red much like the photo posted. What you've got is a CA-1 alike, and it probably was red with white letters.
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UP caboose colours
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