Paint Schemes of the NYSW

Introduction

This post is an overview of the paint schemes of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway. Susquehanna has had seven official paint schemes. These schemes include the Gray and Maroon, Single-maroon stripe, Bare Aluminum, Bicentennial, Yellow Jacket, Black Jacket, and Maroon and Yellow paint schemes.

The Gray and Maroon Scheme

Often confused with the “Single maroon Stripe” paint scheme, the original maroon and gray paint scheme was what the Susquehanna’s first locomotives were painted in. It features four stripes, two in maroon and two in gray. This scheme was chosen by trustee Walter Kidde, who based the scheme on the same colors as the Stevens Institute of Technology which he graduated from in 1897. A common misconception is that it is maroon and silver, but it is maroon and light grey. This paint scheme was used from 1941, when the first two Alco RS1s were delivered, until the late 70s.

Even the "critters" wore this scheme, taken by Wally Gobetzs.

#206 Restored into the maroon and Gray Scheme in 1985, picture taken by Robert J. Grubinskas.

The Single Maroon Stripe Scheme

The “Single Maroon Stripe” paint scheme is one of the most famous NYSW schemes, second to the Yellow Jacket. This scheme was first introduced in 1950 with the brand-new Budd RDC1s. The last Alco RS1s that the Susquehanna bought in 1953 (#254 and #256) were delivered in this scheme, unlike the earlier RS1s. Some other locomotives in desperate need of new paint would receive this scheme. The main reason for having just one maroon stripe was that they could only afford to purchase so much maroon paint. In April of 2023, NYSW #3024, an SD40-2, was revealed wearing a new heritage scheme meant to represent the maroon stripe scheme.

A picture of #3024 in Newfoundland during the Toys for Tots train.

NYSW M-1, a Budd RDC1, wearing the maroon stripe scheme, picture from the URHS website.

Bare Aluminum Scheme

In 1955, in an effort to try to further cut costs, the Susquhenna adopted the “bare aluminum” paint scheme. In actuality, it was not bare aluminum, it was metallic silver paint. To the surprise of no one, this paint made every spec of dust stick out like a sore thumb. In the span of just a couple of years, the engines wearing this paint were completely caked in dirt and dust. People seem to think that the frame of the locomotives were painted green. This misconception came from old photos that showed it having a green frame, this is due to bad color reproduction.

Atlas NYSW #244 with the incorrect green frame. Photo from Trainz.com.

#252 caked in dirt and dust, picture taken by Jack Smith.

An example of a photo with the green frame, taken by Andrew Koenigsberg

Bicentennial Scheme

Like many other railroads at the time, the Susquehanna painted RS1 #252 in red, white, and blue paint in 1976 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. In addition to the patriotic paint, the nose was adorned with an eagle and stars circling the number on the cab. Unfortunately, they were just stickers picked up from a local hardware store. Bored engineers would reach their hand out the window and peel the stars off. Eventually, it got so bad that they had to remove the stickers and place a white box around the number instead.

#252 in her new coat of paint, notice the stars on the side of the cab, taken by Albert Kwolek.

#252 sitting in Little Ferry three years later, notice the box on the cab where the stars used to be, picture taken by Tim Darnell.

Yellow Jacket scheme

In 1962, after testing out EMD's GP20 demonstrator units, they instead ordered three GP18s as they were easier to maintain. The “Geeps” arrived in a brand-new coat of yellow and black paint coined the “Yellow Jacket scheme” by railfans and employees. The first iteration of the design consisted of two big stripes, one black one towards the bottom and a yellow one at the top. On the nose, the large black stripe turned into multiple smaller stripes sloping down, away from the center of the nose. No one really knows why they chose these colors and patterns, my best guess is that they did it to represent a new era of safety resembling yellow and black striped “hazard” tape used to denote potential hazards. Later in the 70s, the scheme was further simplified, having the large black stripe instead, slope down towards the bottom of the nose in one solid line. It also featured the “Susquehanna S-ball,” and is the reason why the NYSW logo is yellow today.

One of the earliest pictures In color of the Yellow Jacket Scheme, taken by J Hunt on northeast.railfan.net.

Later, another black stripe was added to the top. The earliest example I can find of this is on the GE B40-8s, which were also the first to feature “Susquehanna” written on the nose. This feature was absent on all other engines until 2023 with EMD SD70M-2s.

NYSW B40-8 #4020 in the yellow jacket Scheme, taken by Jim Conroy.

Black Jacket scheme

What defines a locomotive as a black jacket is debated. I believe that any black ex-Norfolk Southern engine is a black jacket, including what people call the “black livery.” Engines that wore this scheme are #3018, #3020, #3022, #3024, #3042, and #4060 to #4066 (Even only). In 2002, the Susquehanna started leasing four engines from Big Dog Leasing (BDLX), which were black ex-Nolfork Southern units. They finally bought them in 2004 and rebuilt #3018 and #3022 in 2006, including painting them into the yellow jacket scheme. #3020 and #3042 did not get the same treatment and stayed in their black jacket until they were scrapped in 2014. Most people think of #3024 and the 4060s first scheme when they hear “black jacket.” Since they bought the engines directly from NS, they still had the famous NS white striping on the nose. They put the Susquehanna S-Ball on the nose in place of the horse and replaced the NS logos on the side with “Susquehanna.” Many people, including me, dislike this scheme as it does not look very good and refined like the other schemes, but it still is important to the history of the railroad.

NYSW #3022 in the Black livery or Black Jacket scheme. Picture taken by Marc Samuelson.

Side by Side comparison of #3024 when it was owned by NS and when it had the black Jacket Scheme

Picture taken by Harold Hodnett

Taken by Scott Crotwell

Maroon and Yellow Scheme (aka NYSW Passenger Scheme)

Sometime in the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, the Susquehanna developed a Maroon and Yellow paint scheme for their passenger and excursion equipment. Information on the scheme is scarce, but I know that #2002, #2400, #2402, and M-4 to M-8 (Even Only) wore this paint scheme. #2002 was the only engine with this scheme to exclusively pull freight. It did, though, occasionally pull excursion trains in the Northern Division. M-4 to M-8 were designated to passenger service. The #2400 and #2402, the E9s, mostly pulled excursion trains and a couple freight trains, sometimes with NYSW #142. Multiple passenger cars were also painted up in this scheme to match the engines pulling them.

#2002 pulling an excursion train down Schuyler Street, Taken by Dale Woodland.

NYSW #2400 pulling a train with matching passenger cars. Photo taken by Jonathan Ferraro

M-8 stopped next to a passing freight train, taken by ironmike9.

References

“Susquehanna Paint Schemes.” RAILROAD.NET, Railroad.net, 11 Sept. 2013, railroad.net/susquehanna-paint-schemes-t152609.html.

“New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York,_Susquehanna_and_Western_Railway#1980s.

“NYSW ALCO RS-1S.” RAILROAD.NET, Railroad.net, 19 July 2010, www.railroad.net/nysw-alco-rs-1s-1940s-t73791.html.

“PMD - NYS&W Silver-Maroon Stripe Diesels.” Prime Mover Decals, Prime Mover decals, primemoverdecals.com/pdf/pmd013.pdf. Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

“PMD - NYS&W E9 Diesels.” Prime Mover Decals, Prime Mover decals, primemoverdecals.com/pdf/pmd018.pdf. Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

Tupaczewski, Paul R. New York, Susquehanna and Western in Color. Morning Sun Books, 2002.

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