Richard - Yes, there must have been some improvement
in paints in the early '50's, as autos went from somber maroons, dark blues
and greens, cream, light gray, or black, to brighter colors. (Period ads
often featured bright red autos, but several people remember the extra cost
of such a color and how fast it faded.)
On the other hand, I remember the story of how the Rutland's 4-8-2's
were delivered in green and yellow in '46 and within 6 months, looked so
sooty they gave and painted them standard black. (Yes, the Rutland was
poor, but they seemed to maintain their engines pretty well.) Yet the
Rutland went to green and yellow only four years later with their diesels.
They might have gone to a brighter color, but I'm thinking that one reason
for the explosion of the freight car paint palette in the '50's was the
demise of the steam engine.
Whatever the reason, a bright pine tree green seems to have led the way
(M&StL, MEC, REA, Cities Service), with the blues and bright reds coming in
the mid-50's.
- John Nehrich