A new set of coaches for the W&PK 

The reasons why the D&RGW started painting their coaches yellow is so they would look more vibrant against the sides of hills and mountains. Mostly on the silverton branch. The entire idea of the yellow coach scenario was a movie filmed on the Durango to Silverton route called “A ticket To Tomahawk” in the 50s. It’s free to watch on RU-vid. As I was saying the movies train consist had a small caboose, a Yellow coach and RGS 20. The locomotive was repainted and renamed to “Emma Sweeny” and the loco had to be pulled by mules on the ground for a good 40 miles in the movie. Of course they weren’t going to use the actual locomotive. They built a 1 to 1 scale replica of RGS 20 and used it in the movie. It was later used on petticoat junction and then put on display in California. In 2010 it was donated to the Durango railroad historical society and restored to her former glory. She’s now on display at a park called “Santa Rita”. The D&RGW saw the yellow coach and thought “woah that looks really pretty.” And repainted lots of their coaches to the famed bumble bee yellow. I’m pretty sure almost the entire fleet was repainted until the 60s or 70s.

"Probably some that were built explicitly for preservation." Yes, there are. Over here at the Sumpter Valley we built two, and boy do they have a story. They started out as boxcars, but were converted into container flats later on. Yes, intermodal flats on the narrow gauge. When the SVRy got them from the White Pass & Yukon, they were first converted into excursion gondolas. Some time in the past two years, they were given roofs but left as open air. Quite a saga for two originally unassuming boxcars.

I wondered when you'd get to the coach I sent you. Looks good.

To paint or not to paint - will shakin sphere