Before posting here, I attempted a forum search, but apart from one which provided some links to sites that either no longer exist or require another login, I'm not finding anything on this topic that can assist in my search.
I'm specifically looking for paint information for Reading Railroad locomotives, and even more specifically the T-1 class series. I am aware that there are other projects working on same, but I have no contact information for those folks. Perhaps you are viewing this, and if so can help a fellow out.
The original cab window frames have multiple layers of paint and primer from over the years, and I need to know the correct historical color for the original window frames. Does anyone know if when these were rebuilt at the Reading shops these colors may have changed from the Baldwin builds? Or even if the original consolidated locos had the same frame shape? I am fascinated by the top window frame rails which are cut on an angle. (which makes building new ones oh so fun) This seems to be something also unique to the Reading, is that correct? I can't recall seeing this slanted design elsewhere, and I noted the design does not appear unique just to Reading's T1's apparently, as I seem to have found similar cab windows in other classes of locomotives on the Reading.
I'm hoping this post will generate some helpful feedback, and I thank you in advance for responding.

Robert Gottschall's book on the T1s has a detailed description of the painting process the Reading used on the T1s. They were painted with Dupont Duco and Dulux paints. Two coats of Duco locomotive black were sprayed on the tender and cab, while Dulux locomotive black was used everywhere else. The drivers received a glaze coat between the primer and black color coats. The second coat of black was applied 12 hours after the first. The lettering and striping was Duco imitation gold and giving two coats. The book also mentions that the T1s had a very shiny finish when new.

I don't have a lot of info on Reading, let alone the T1 window frames. My suggestion, if you have a piece of frame with paint intact is to very carefully sand down to the bottom color layer. It can be a tedious project. Clean it as best you can - no solvents. You can wipe mineral oil over it to bring out the color. Assuming you're going to use commercial/industrial paint - take it to your supplier to scan, preferably at their lab.

Why you have to go the hard way: Duco (nitrocellulose) and Dulux (acrylic enamel) are long out of production. When heavy metal pigments were removed, no cross reference to the new formulations was created since every color would have to be mixed trial & error and matched with the new pigments to determine the formula.

Though absolutely no help, Duco's product line prefix number would have been 254 and Dulux would have been 88. The color numbers for Reading black were likely 5 or 762 for Dulux (88-5 or 88-762, 5 would be the earlier version) or 2234 for Duco (254-2234). I doubt the you could tell the difference between the two other than maybe sheen so consider that black is just black. Nuthin' fancy.

The imitation gold would possibly be 254-6479.

If you come up with official RDG colors, please post back so I can add them to a future cross reference update.

Cool, I get to repost that Johnny Toro picture again... :)

...and the Reading yellow, Hostler, is the same color as Lackawanna Yellow which I'm thinking you might be familiar with. Mr. Mueller is currently using an Imitation Gold-like yellow ochre on #2102. You can tell it's just a little too dark to be Reading Yellow but hey, a gallon or two of New Caterpillar Yellow isn't hard to find right off the shelf... ;)

Regarding the cab window frames, all the postwar color pictures of Reading steamers that I've managed to collect so far indicate they were painted black, at least the exterior portion.

According to Mr. Hall in his book, as of 1923, the Reading did use the station brown and buff combination as interior colors in their standard cabooses. Whether or not this may apply to the steam locomotive cab interiors as well, I don't know, but if you happen to discover another finish color besides black on the window frames, Hostler, chances are fairly good it would be the station brown.

That's what color Andy's window frame appears to be and I'm still looking at Johnny's picture. LOL The Duco lacquer can and will wrinkle up and crack like that, however.

No longer clad in shining armor because it never was, here's #119 up in Pine Grove with its black arched window frames...

R.Co was intertwined with the DuPonts by serving their facilities along the Brandywine Creek in PA and DE as well as an isolated plant in NJ.

Thus, Duco and Dulux make sense.

Phil Mulligan

The Reading definitely got some Dulux 028 Caboose Red from DuPont, Phil. We have a receipt for that.

As far as the window frames go, I don't think there's any doubt they should be black as in this shot from September of 1964...

Now this is a view you don't see too often. Apparently, with the special ramble scheme, the locomotive number on the rear of the tender was painted in Aluminum as well as the train steam connection down by the coupler...

119 was not a streamlined Crusader engine; they were 117 and 118. 119 did get a new set of drivers; still spoked but better balanced. The rebuilt G-2-s-a engines retained their as-built drivers but the new G-3 engines got cross counterbalanced main drivers.

I believe the cab interiors were institutional green. But that goes back over 50 years.

Phil Mulligan

Duly noted and corrected, Phil. I think I screwed that up somewhere in my thread also. Thanks!!!

I know the NYC used DuPont 6202 Green as a steam locomotive cab interior color, the same color as Libman mop and broom handles. According to the caboose book, the Reading's International wide-vision cars were that pale green institutional color inside and also the second-generation EMD cabs. The first-generation diesels' cab interior color was typically Suede Gray like the F-units and GP-7's.

Here are all four colors together, as I have them so far, in their DuPont Dulux automotive fleet color versions, Hostler. 1290 GMC Venetian Yellow and 005 Black are the standard colors while "Safety Always" 5248 Lemon Yellow and 23994 Aluminum were added for the rambles. 54701 Fruehauf Yellow, partially seen in the lower left, is the Penn Central's safety yellow and also used by the Alaska RR. I had wanted to get the 014 Imitation Gold chip into the picture as well but that didn't quite work out. LOL

BTW, welcome to the site!!!...

All bets are off after the Rambles. The next diesel roadswitchers came in bright yellow with green trim (they were the first EMD GP-30's)

But they decided to display 0-6-0T 1251 at Outer Station for a Ramble from Williamsport and Shamokin. The smokebox was silvered; the firebox sides were silvered (yes it's a wide firebox under the saddletank), driver tires. running board edges (yellow). They put a passenger whistle on with an extra long cord hung outside the cab.

Th e weekend mechanical boss said they had gone too far, then added "but it's their engine."

Phil Mulligan

1251 is at the RR Museum of PA in its working colors. With 1960's safety appliances.

Currently at Strasburg, #1251 is wearing New Cat Yellow as a lettering and striping color, Phil, while on the cab training models, as painted by the Reading, it's Venetian Yellow, perhaps appearing slightly darker on the T-1 and FP-7 representatives since, as O484 mentioned in his posting, it is applied over the black.

The yellow on the original early-sixties Tyco Reading GP-20 is also a close match to DuPont 1290 so it's pretty much the same color on the GP-30's, 35's, etc., only lots more of it. The model does look slightly more orange than I think it should but it is molded in a somewhat translucent plastic, not paint. The next time I head down there, I'm taking that thing with me just to see because I forgot to do it the last time around...

What the heck, why not? LOL

That's the standard Reading Yellow on the caboose body and safety yellow on the handrails and brake wheel. On the SW-1001 in its "green machine" colors, it's all safety yellow and along with black on the pilot.

The colors on that Tyco model might be fairly accurate, huh?...

Figured I'd try that again this morning in an attempt to cut down on the amount of red emanating from the body shell. Looks like I've achieved a moderate level of success this time around so that's always good...