Union Pacific's Two-Tone Gray 4-8-2 Mountains

This page was last updated on August 6, 2024.

All 60 of UP's MT class 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotives were painted two-tone gray:

Bob Darwin's research found that most, if not all, of UP's 7000-class 4-8-2 Mountain locomotives were painted in two-tone gray. However, he found that only one color photo showed a 7000 with yellow stripes, that being UP 7030 in a photo taken in Denver in 1948. Research by others has found a color slide by Tom Gildersleeve showing UP 7852 with yellow striping.

Below is an incomplete list based on photographic research:

Road
Number		 Striping
Color		 Photo
Date		 Source
(see below)		 Remarks (Location/Train)
UP 7000   1948 (5) p. 157 Council Bluffs
UP 7000   20 Aug 1950 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 17; Council Bluffs
UP 7002   20 Oct 1949 (7) p. 47 Sherman Hill/Utahan
UP 7002 silver gray Jun 1952 (10) p. 124 Otto, Wyoming/Idahoan
UP 7003 silver-gray Fall 1950 (12)  
UP 7003 silver-gray circa 1951 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 4; North Platte
UP 7004   26 Sep 1948 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 17; Kansas City
UP 7004   20 Oct 1951 (3) p. 144 Lawrence, Kansas/Train 40, Kansan
UP 7005   1 Oct 1948 (4) p. 59 Pocatello
UP 7008 silver gray 25 Oct 1952 (10) p. 69 near Columbus, Nebraska.
UP 7011   Jan 1949 (4) p. 97 Portland/Idahoan
UP 7011   8 Aug 1952 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 15; Sherman, Wyoming/San Francisco Limited
UP 7012   late 1940s (2) p. 231 Kamela, Oregon/Idahoan
UP 7014   1948 (5) p. 158  
UP 7014   17 Aug 1951 (4) p. 100 Black River, Washington.
UP 7016   10 Oct 1948 (4) p. 10 near Boise, Idaho/Train 18, Portland Rose
UP 7017     (14) p. 30  
UP 7018   2 Oct 1949 (11) p. 36 Kansas City
UP 7019   24 Apr 1949 (16) p. 92 Pocatello, Idaho. (shown on page 93 in black on 22 June 1946)
UP 7019 silver-gray 11 Jun 1950 (12) Cajon Pass
UP 7021   1948 (4) p. 96 The Dalles, Oregon/Idahoan
UP 7021   Aug 1949 (4) p. 103
(8) p. 141		 Spokane, Washington/Train 20, The Spokane
UP 7021   29 May 1951 (11) p. 40 West Spokane, Washington/Train 20
UP 7023   early 1950s (8) p. 262 Tacoma, Washington/Train 403
UP 7025 silver gray 1 Sep 1952 (10) p. 33 Council Bluffs
UP 7029   6 Nov 1949 (3) p. 183 Kansas City
UP 7029     (14) p. 31  
UP 7030 yellow 1948   Denver
UP 7032   2 Aug 1947 (3) p. 86 Sherman, Wyoming/Utahan
UP 7035   1954 (7) p. 46 LaSalle, Colo
UP 7036   16 May 1948 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 20-21
UP 7039   16 Jul 1950 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 11; Buford, Wyoming/Utahan
UP 7066   11 May 1952 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 19; Seattle
UP 7850   Oct 1950 (7) p. 42 Glenns Ferry, Idaho
UP 7852 yellow Oct 1948 (17) Cajon, California (YouTube video, timestamp 4:50)
UP 7852   23 Jul 1950 (11) p. 37 Pocatello
UP 7852 yellow (no date)   Tom Gildersleeve slide
UP 7853   1950 (7) p. 46 Cheyenne
UP 7854   1948 (16) p. 95 Cache Junction, Utah
UP 7855   5 Jul 1949 (4) p. 25 near Rupert, Idaho
UP 7859 silver gray 18 Jun 1950 (15) p. 152 near Victorville, California. (small photo)
UP 7860   21 Aug 1949 (13) The Streamliner, V9-3, page 9; Kansas City
UP 7861   30 Jul 1950 (3) p. 183 Kansas City
UP 7862   10 Sep 1952 (4) p. 121 Centralia, Washington.
UP 7863     (14) p. 35  
???   Aug 1947 (2) p. 294 Salt Lake City/Pony Express

Notes:

  1. Striping color is shown when source photograph is in color; all other photographs are black & white, with the striping color being difficult to determine.
  2. For an excellent article about UP's 4-8-2 Mountains, see The Streamliner, Volume 9, Number 3, Summer 1994

Photo Sources:

  1. Drury, George. Union Pacific Across Sherman Hill (Kalmbach, 2000)
  2. Kratville, Wm. Golden Rails (Kratville Publications, 1965)
  3. Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Union Pacific Steam, Eastern District (E&G Publications, 1975)
  4. Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Union Pacific Steam, Northwestern District (E&G Publications, 1977)
  5. Kratville, William. Motive Power of the Union Pacific (Barnhart Press, 1977)
  6. Grenard, Ross B. "Greyhounds of the Overland Trail" Railfan & Railroad, January 1988, Volume 7, Number 1, pages 48-53
  7. Grenard, Ross, and John Krause. The Overland Route (Carstens Publications, no date)
  8. Asay, Jeff. Union Pacific Northwest (Pacific Fast Mail, 1991)
  9. Olmstead, Robert. The Big Guys (Robert P. Olmstead, 1998)
  10. Pfeifer, Jack. West From Omaha (Pacific Fast Mail, 1990)
  11. Schumacher, David. The "Overland" Union Pacific Overland, Service Cars and Their Paint Schemes". Prototype Modeler, Volume 4, Number 1, August 1980, page 24.
  12. Vanishing Vistas postcard
  13. The Streamliner (TSL), Union Pacific Historical Society (issue shown in Remarks)
  14. Durham, Robert. Union Pacific Railroad, 1936-1956 (Robert Durham, 1998)
  15. Hemphill, Mark. Union Pacific Salt Lake Route (Boston Mills Press, 1995)
  16. Watson, James. Union Pacific Small Steam Power (Motive Power Services, 1985)
  17. YouTube video, SP Boosters Club excursion, October 5, 1948 (timestamp 4:50) shows yellow stripe on UP 7852 (thanks to Trever Brackett for pointing out this source)

Sources without Two-Tone Gray Mountain photos: