14: BEN DEDEK ILLUSTRATION OF COTTON BELT RR BLACK WIDOW F7

Benjamin J. Dedek (1896-1973)
Cotton Belt RR Black Widow F7 Locomotive (1950)
The incredibly striking and exceptionally well-rendered original tempera illustration with airbrush highlights, executed on Hi-Art artist's illustration board, is signed by Ben Dedek lower left.

This General Motors locomotive is decorated in Southern Pacific's popular Black Widow color scheme, which SP first used on F3 locomotives in 1947. SP's subsidiary, the St. Louis Southwestern, also known as the Cotton Belt, ordered 47 F7 locomotives in the Black Widow scheme, and number 925 was the first of these to be delivered in February of 1950. However, they weren't the first Cotton Belt locomotives in Black Widow colors, as the railroad had repainted its FT locomotives that were delivered in 1944 to the Black Widow scheme in 1949. This is an incredibly crisp and fresh painting of this locomotive as it was delivered to the railroad. Not too long after delivery, the railroad replaced the small letter, 'StLS-W' on the side with 'Cotton Belt' in much larger letters.
Sight size through the mat is 13 x 20, measures 17 x 24 inches overall.
Very good original untouched condition. There are no issues of stain, scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up.
Provenance: The Fred Roniger Estate Collection.
$500 - $5,000