15: BEN DEDEK (1896-1973) SAUDI EMD COLOR SCHEME PROPOSAL

Benjamin J. Dedek (1896-1973)
General Motors Locomotive for Saudi Arabia Government (Circa 1953.)
General Motors sold nearly all of the F-series locomotives to North American railroads, but a few were sold to Saudi Arabia. In 1953, the Arabian-American Oil Company bought two FP7A locomotives (the P standing for passenger, meaning the locomotive had a boiler for steam-heated passenger cars, which seems superfluous in Saudi Arabia) and in 1956 the Saudi Government Railways (which had taken over the Arabian-American locomotives) bought 7 FP9As. The main difference between the FP7 and FP9 is the number of vents on the side, but vents aren't shown in this painting. It appears this is an FP7A and this is apparently the actual color scheme for the locomotives as they were delivered except that no examples of Saudi locomotives with the script on the sides or the swords-and-palm-tree logo on the nose can be found. These may have been painted out after delivery.

This interesting original tempera painting depicting a railway bed in sand through the desert carrying a General Motors Electro-Motive streamliner locomotive is signed on the lower left corner by the artist Benjamin Dedek, head of GM's styling department.
Sight size through the mat is 15.5 x 21.25, measures 20 x 26 inches overall.
Very good original untouched condition with bright, clean colors. There are no issues of major scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up.
Provenance: The Fred Roniger Estate Collection.
$500 - $5,000