Pullman Interior - Union Pacific

[knotman]

I am in the process of detailing the interiors of my Union Pacific Pullman cars. Does anyone know the color of the blankets used by the Pullman cars of the Union Pacific? Thank you!

[Dr EMD]

 Here is what I Googled

[Woody Elmore]

Are you asking about cars operated by the Pullman Company or pullman cars owned by the UP?

It is possible that different trains had different interior colors. Good luck; I think you've started quite a project for your self!

[knotman]

Woody,

Thank you for your reply.

Good question! Until the 1940s, all of the Pullman cars were owned and staffed by Pullman. In the 1940s, the U.S. Supreme Court made Pullman give up ownership of the cars to the various roads. Most roads in turn then leased back the cars back to Pullman, which maintained the status quo except for who held title to the cars. For the roads that leased back the cars to Pullman, it would appear that the actual ownership of the cars would not make any difference. However, I do not know if UP was one of the roads that leased their cars back to Pullman or not. Nor, do I know of a good way of making a determination.

As a point of reference, my layout is transition era, 1940s, early 1950s.

As least one UP train had a distinctive interior color, the City of Portland had a rose color color scheme; Portland is the "City of Roses." One would guess that the blankets for that train would be a rose color. The general color scheme in the UP heavyweights appears to be blue. So my thought was that the blankets would also be a blue. However, neither blue nor rose may be the proper color since as was pointed out in the first reply, there are brown Pullman blankets out there.

However, I am unable to verify the above. As a youngster, I traveled in Pullman cars with my parents, but I do not for the most part remember the interior colors, let alone the color of the blanket. (I do remember curtains in the open section cars being dark, most likely a dark blue - but that was on the PRR not UP.) 

A problem is that any photos that I can find are black and white, not color.  I am interested in making as accurate interiors that I can for the cars. In frustration, I posted my question.

As to quite a project...I am a builder of scale model airplanes...I am finding that detailing the interiors appears to be a lot easier for the railway cars than the interior of an aircraft! As to research for the detailing, so far not any different from what I faced when I started detailing the interiors of aircraft.

knotman

[Woody Elmore]

I think there might be more documentation for aircraft. I'vee read articles where the builder knows exactly the interior color of a cockpit as well as al lthe details of the seat, harnesses, dashboard, etc.

I wonder if the records of the Pullman Company exist somewhere. 

[SteamGene]

Doesn't UP have a historical society?  If nothing else, it is still in full existence.  Try contacting UP pr.
Gene

[Conrail Quality]

As far as I know, most of Pullman's plans are now the property of Bombardier. You could contact them, I suppose, though I don't know how helpful Bombardier would be.