Frisco Paint Shop: GP7s

The material that first appeared in FMIG Issue 43 in September 1985 has been updated.

The GP7s appeared in four basic paint schemes, with variations for each. The first three all involved a black unit with yellow striping and lettering. The variations between these black and yellow schemes all involved changes in the striping pattern. The fourth scheme had three variations of the Mandarin orange and white scheme.

Paint Schemes:
The paint schemes for the GP7s are: FR-RS1a, the scheme applied by EMD; FR-RS1b, the scheme with two horizontal bars below the headlights; FR-RS2a and FR-RS2b, the first simplified scheme with all lettering and striping in Scotchlite; FR-RS3a and FR-RS3b, a further simplication of the striping; and FR-RS4a, FR-RS4b, and FR-RS4c, Mandarin orange and white, without and with nose stripes.

FR-RS1a
This is the scheme applied by EMD at the factory. This scheme appears to have disappeared quickly by conversion into FR-RS1b. This scheme was a basic black unit with all lettering and striping in yellow paint. The ends of the hoods had 5 diagonal stripes, extending from the flat nose up the sides of the nose and truning down at the corners of the hoods for approximately 12". The sides of the frame had stripes running diagonally from the bottom on the front to the top on the back. The area behind the steps from the frame to cab level were painted yellow. All handrails, grab irons, edge of steps, and back of step area were painted yellow for all the black and yellow schems. Era: date built - early 1952.

(Photo by M. Morrow, Mike Condren Collection)

Figure 1.

FR-RS1b
This scheme was the same as FR-RS1a except that the lettering and top stripe on the hond ends were done in Scotchlite. Two horizontal bars of Scotchlite appeared on the flat end of the under under the headlight. It appears that the Scotchlite was simply applied over the top of the painted lettering and stripes to increase night time visibility of the basically black units. Era: Early 1952 - ?.

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 2. GP7 #593 is seen here in Ft. Smith, AR during June 1973. This unit never wore a newer paint scheme.

FR-RS2a
This was the first attempt at simplification to cut down on the labor costs of repainiting a unit. All lettering and striping was done with Scotchlite tape cut with the aid of stencils. The number of stripes and their pattern were also simplified. The diagonal nose stripes were reduced 5 in number to 3. Only one of these, the bottom one, was complete from the flat end of the hood to the side, where it turned down.The other two stripes were simple chevrons at the corner between the nose and side of the hoods. All of these stripes continued on the sides for approximately 6", or half the distance of the FR-RS1 scheme. On the FR-RS2a variation, these stripes were only the number found on FR-RS1 scheme. On the FR-RS2a variation, these stripes ran the same direction as on the FR-RS1 scheme. A diamond pattern of Scotchlite replaced the 2 horizontal bars of FR-RS1b. Era: ?.

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 3. The first GP7 purchased by Frisco is shown here outside of West Shops in Springfield having had its steam generator removed and a large fuel tank installed, 7/8/62.

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 4.

FR-RS2b
This varation of the FR-RS2 scheme differed from the FR-RS2a variation only in the direction of slope of the diagonal frame stripes. This was probably the result of the personal preference of the painter involved but was too common to be ignored. Era: same as FR-RS2a

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 5. Tulsa, OK, 1/3/70

FR-RS3a
Paint scheme FR-RS3 came in two variations, probably the result of experimentation with the placement of the stripes. In variation FR-RS3a, the stripes on the ends of the hoods were further reduced to one stripes, the bottom most stripe of the previous scheme. The chevrons on the corners were eliminated as was the turn down of this remaining stripe. This has been photographically confirmed on only one unit, #520. Era: ?.

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 6. Springfield, MO 9/19/65

FR-RS3b
Variation FR-RS3b appears to be the more common variation of paint scheme, FR-RS3. It differs from variation FR-RS3a in that the single nose stripe is now centered on the ends of the hood. AND for the first time, the stripe comes to a point at the center of the nose. All previous schemes and variations of this scheme had the narrow flat end of the hood solid black except for the horizontal bars and diamonds under the headlights. Era: 6/6/63-2/26/65.

(Photo by Mike Condren)

FR-RS4a
Paint scheme was a drastic break from the black and yellow of the previous schemes to the Mandarin orange and white. This was an attempt to paint all units the same basic colors. Variation FR-RS4a had a basic Mandarin orange unit with a wide white stripe and black underbody. The wide white stripe ran around the unit from the height from the height of the battery boxes on the bottom to the bottom of the radiator intakes at the top

(Photo by Mike Condren)

Figure 7.

The paints for the O&W scheme reported in Table 1 came from an official painting diagram for GP7s.

Table 1.
Paints used in scheme FR-RS4.

The "Frisco" was in red. The letters were 18" tall and ran 15'3", running from 11" behind the second door behind the cab to 11" in front of the first door of the rear radiaor section of the hood. The units numbers were in red, 12" tall, 6" from the botom of the cab window. The "F" was in white, 4" tall. "Be Careful" on the ends below the running boards was white in 2" letters. All other lettering was 1" white letters. The cab interior was Green-Dulux-88-055. The interior locomotive body and engine were Gray-Dulux-83-503. All hand-holds and hand-rails were white with red hand-rail stanchions. This diagram was dated 2/26/65.

FR-RS4b
The use of Mandarin orange and white was an attempt by the Frisco to improve grade crossing visibility of all units. Although it helped, people cntinued to run into or be struck by units that they "did not see". Variation FR-RS4b and FR-RS4c were further attempts to improve unit visibility.Variation FR-RS4b involved the use of orange Scotchlite tape in a diagonal pattern over the white on the end of the short hood. It consisted of 6 stripes of varying length. Two of the higher stripes came to a point on the flat end of the hood. This attempt was only partially successful The Scotchlite tape faded and peeled badly. Many units had some or all of the tape peeled off making them appear to be another vairation of FR-RS4. Era: ?

FR-RS4c
To eliminate the problem with the tape stripes, some units were painted with painted stripes. The grab irons on these units over the stripe area were painted Mandarin orange. Era: ?

Some units, including at least #571, appeared in all of the paint schemes, even if not all variations. In the last years of use on the Frisco, some of the units had the rear number boards painted over. Black paint was used for those units still in black and yellow and Mandarin orange for those with that base color.

Table 2
Units by paint scheme

Data from the roster provided by the following sources:
"Frisco Power" Joe G. Collias
"Frisco Diesel Power" Louis A. Marre and John Baskin Harper
"Frisco in Color" Louis A. Marre and Gregory J. Sommers
Photographs in personal collection
and personal observations

Errors in this roster are the sole responsibility of its author.
Mike Condren
February 1, 2003