277- MY INDEPTH RESEARCH On VIRGINIA'S C&O OFFICIAL TRAIN STATION COLORS, FROM PRE-1925 TO POST-1925!!...

This historian has traveled to every standing Virginia train depot left standing across my native State, photographed them and recorded notes. Also, have copied dozens and dozens more pics of depots not standing. Each one, today, has been pinpointed on a trusty official VDOT map (red dots) to show the extent of our once neat railroad system in Virginia...more that just the C&O. And that brings me to what the official colors for early C&O depots were allowed within their system. Thanks to the C&O Historcal Society (am a longtime member) I even obtained the drawings from their archives.

a- First...those official C&O depot colors are described in their logs. And then I will reveal why one restored depot in Virginia is definitely incorrect for our local area! Two newspapers were respectfully given copies of that information.

b- According to the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society's indepth research and archives, standard C&O depots were painted, before 1925, in "Colonial Buff" (LIGHT YELLOW) and trimmed in white and terra cotta. After 1925, the standard depots were painted medium gray, with light gray trim. Both were for frame buildings and were the official colors for the C&O operation. This historian NOW has copies of the three (3) standard C&O drawings for pre-1925, post-1925 and brick depots like the present one in Williamsburg.

c- This careful researcher did visit the Norge Depot (J.C.C) often over a period of a month to do detailed measuring while this station was on the old C&O tracts. And DID build a detailed, scaled model of the Norge Depot, using the later light gray color. My purpose was to encourage and nudge locals to actually SEE what the building would be like, envisioning SOME TIME before it was actually removed and restored in another location, just knowing that enough money would be raised to move it!

d- After it was moved and restored to the present JCC Library area, and much to my, AND OTHERS' chagrin, OUR Norge Depot was painted a strange yellow! Who made that decision? I, for one, worked with and followed the restoration from beginning to fruition and never once was asked for an input. This historian gladly, earlier, went out to locations to promote raising funds and support for the Norge Depot, each trip taking the detailed Norge Depot model. I also donated four (4) of my pen and ink drawings of local depots for our depot museum.

e- Remember, earlier, I noted that this historian had visited, recorded and photographed EVERY standing depot in my native Virginia...nearly 180! That's EVERY standing depot in Virginia. NOT A SINGLE ONE had been painted that strange yellow color!!!! The farthest one out, that I researched and photographed, west, was Appalachia. There is a large one in Bristol, with Marion...Pocahontas...Foster Falls...Narrows...Paint Bank...Staunton...Lyndhurst...Charlottesville...Winchester...Oak Ridge...Manassas...Woodford...Emporia...Williamsburg...Franklin...Weirwood...and Exmore to name some!

f- This historian has determined that the restored Norge Depot is NOT painted correctly for our James City County area restoration. It appears more like a cartoon version, but "someone or ones" are determined to keep it painted that way. Who? It is important to this historian and to our older, rural "community" that the Norge Depot be painted according to the official C&O standards that I uncovered, thanks to the COHS...a pre-1925 "Colonial Buff"!!!!! I have those official drawings right here in front of me at this very moment!

g- ....and I urge you to drive out to the restored Norge Depot by the JCC Public Library, park and ponder. Then, I ask that you then take a short drive down Rte. 60 to the Lee Hall Depot, in upper Newport News and observe their official depot color!
Lastest...I drove down Rte. 60 recently to recheck. Lee Hall Depot will soon be moved off the tracks, saving it. OH, guess what color it was painted? Hmmm....the offical pre-1925 "Colonial Buff." And it looked genuinely early C&O vintage!

h- This early Virginiana depot aficionado rests my case. And what do I suggest that all of you who appreciate and care about accuracy for our local treasures, like our Norge Depot, do? Ask that the strange non-standard color of the depot NOW be quietly changed back to the standard "Colonial Buff"...that's the light, cream yellow you see at Lee Hall and all over Virginia with a pre-1925 date!...thanks...rss