“Rainbow Era” & Phase I Coaches:

Like its locomotives, all of Amtrak’s rolling stock was inherited from predecessor railroads such as Penn Central. Since there wasn’t time enough to implement uniform branding on Amtrak’s ­eet come May 1st, 1971, most trains were comprised of varied rolling stock from multiple railroads resulting in a colorful, or rainbow-like appearance. By 1972, Amtrak developed its Phase I livery and began repainting its ­fleet of heritage coaches, however due to the size and service demand of the fl­eet, this process took several years causing Amtrak’s “rainbow era” to last well into the decade.

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