The William Halsey Locomotive Drawing Collection



"The William Halsey Locomotive Drawing Collection contains 84 watercolor drawings by William Halsey (born ca. 1845- died ca. 1900), a railroad enthusiast probably working in the New York region as early as 1863 until the 1890s. [..]



A significant aspect of the drawings is the record of colors and paint schemes used at the time. Some of these drawings represent the only records of this form of applied decorative railroad art to survive. As a group, the engines display a wide range of colors, and frequently display schemes indicative of locomotive builders or the shop’s style that maintained them."

Brandt Loco. Works, Buffalo Div, Hornellsville, 1875; Erie Railway; Locomotive 409, cab and tender painted black with green and gold detailing, 409 painted in green and gold on tender, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, watermark: Keuffel & Esser Co.Brooks Loco. Works, Buffalo Div, Hornellsville, 1873; Erie Railway; Locomotive 400, cab and tender painted dark red with red and gold detailing, 400 painted into motif on the side of tender, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, Jany. 1873, Buffalo Division written in lower left corner, slight foxing of printDelaware Div, Rogers Loco. Works, Susquehanna, PA 1875; Erie Railway; Locomotive 319, cab and tender painted dark red with blue, green, red and gold detailing, 319 painted in red and gold on tender, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, 1875 written in bottom right corner (period or later?)Dunkirk Shop, Buffalo Shop, Hornellsville 1866; Erie Railway; Locomotive 69, cab and tender painted dark red with red, yellow, gold and green detailing on the engine, Erie Railway painted in gold on the tender with a motif painted in the center, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, watermark: Keuffel & Esser Co. UniversalRogers Loco. Works, Delaware Div, Port Jervis, NY 1866; Erie Railway; Locomotive 195, cab and tender painted dark red with red and gold detailing, 195 painted in gold on the tender, 4-4-0 wheel configurationRogers Loco. Works, Delaware Div, Susquehanna, PA 1875; Erie Railway; Locomotive 104, cab and tender painted black with red, yellow and gold detailing, 104 painted in gold on the tender, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, watermark: J WHATMAN 1897Swinburne Loco. Works, Eastern Div, Jersey City, NJ 1866; Erie Railway; Locomotive 242, cab and tender painted dark brown with yellow, red, green and gold detailing, 242 painted in red and gold on tender, 4-4-0 wheel configurationWilmarth Loco. Works, Delaware Div, Susquehanna, PA 1868; Erie Railway; Locomotive 183, cab and tender painted dark red with red, yellow and gold detailing, 183 painted in red and gold on tender, 4-4-0 wheel configurationWilmarth Loco. Works, Eastern Div, Jersey City, NJ 1866; Erie Railway; Locomotive 175, cab and tender painted dark brown with red blue and gold detailing, 175 painted in red and gold on tender, 4-4-0 wheel configuration, watermark: Keuffel & Esser Co.