Did any Pullman 10-3 plan 3411 sleepers get painted silver for the Tennessean? Did they ever appear on the train in Pullman green, and if so when?

-- Marty Flick (Golddenim@insight.rr.com), November 24, 2001

Answers

I believe Villa Heights, Villa Nova, and Villa Verde got aluminum paint in 1941 for The Tennessean. The aluminum paint probably was replaced during WWII, so Pullman green would be used after that.

-- Jack Wyatt (cjwyatt@bellsouth.net), November 25, 2001.

The heavyweight Pullmans in Tennessean service in 1941 got a shade of silver that Pullman called aluminum bronze. There were three 10-3's and four 12-1's. After the war Pullman developed a method for painting smooth sided cars to make them resemble stainless steel cars with corrugated panels. It was called silver shadowlining. The Tennessean's heavyweight Pullmans got silver shadowlining, as did two baggage-express cars that SR rebuilt from heavyweight Pullmans, 577 and 593. I have a picture of one of the 12-1's, "Knickerbocker" after it was replaced by streamlined cars in Tennessean service. The silver shadowlining was still fresh and really looked good.

Ben Lee

-- Ben Lee (Bengineer7@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

Evidence shows the shadow lining was probably done circa 1949, so that scheme would have been short-lived on The Tennessean.

-- Jack Wyatt (cjwyatt@bellsouth.net), December 02, 2001.

This is just a footnote to Ben Lee's answer. THe aluminum bronze paint designation was also what was called for on the new FTs and yard switchers. It is just one of the paints in use at the time that was/is silver colored. I got this information from Marvin Black who has the original documentation and confirmed the paint by Andy Sperandeo since this color was also used on some ATSF heavyweights that were repainted that color.

-- Larry Puckett (ljpuckett@starpower.net), February 03, 2002.