Liveries!

Were the big four, pre nationalisation as colourful? I remember Dad, who remembered the LMS, saying that the locos and coaches were usually not that clean then and the locos were always black and a bit mucky. This would have been the ex L & Y section.

 

LMS livery in the thirties was red for express passenger engines, generally Jubilee Class and above, lined black for lesser passenger and mixed traffic locos and unlined black for freight. It is a myth that up until the war everything was kept immaculate although Express locos generally were. From 1946 passenger and mixed traffic locos were black with straw lining and freight unlined black.

 

34027?

 

As it is rebuilt, presenting it in SR livery would really get the froth flowing I suspect!

Tom

 

You mean like this?!

 

I’ve just “liked” that, but please don’t misconstrue the meaning of “like” in this circumstance ...

Tom

 

I'm afraid we have to disagree here James, For some inexplicable and illogical reason, I really quite like that...

 

You found it amusing you mean Tom?

 

As visual images go, very much one to be appreciated in a darkened room ...

Tom

 

Well we all know how bright that shade of green is!

 

My point exactly.
Yes, John Leech, we never really appreciated how good he was until he passed away. He always said, his job wasn't to put bums on seats but to put bums on EMPTY seats, ie, never mind the events that are fixtures in the calender, how do we get people to come on a Tuesday afternoon in low season, colour is a key thing there.
Not a loco livery but John did say prior to his interview he brought his missus and kids along to scout the place out. When asked what he'd change, the first thing he said was that his missus found the paint scheme in the toilets off putting. Colour, where ever It is, has an effect on perception

 

Didn't say they weren't, I was suggesting that we should printout locos in bright liveries to attract passengers, but not inauthentic ones, i.e. BR liveries, pre-1948 and pre-1923 liveries are fine on locos which would have carried them, but I'd say away from painting an 8F maroon, any loco (which isn't used as Thomas) in Thomas blue, etc

 

Just look at these two at Holt last Friday, now much as I love BR lined black I have to say I would shoot anyone going near the B12 with a sander and a pot of primer!

 

Just for the record, when A1x No. W11 was last overhauled, a scrap of Stroudley's "Improved Engine Green" was revealed. A photograph of this appears in a booklet shortly to be published in commemoration of the 140th. anniversary of her gold medal winning trip to Paris. Even allowing for a certain amount of darkening caused by the passage of time, this seems to have had more brown in it than some interpretations suggest.

PH

 

To be fair, the BR liveries (which I do like) were derivatives of pre grouping/pre nationalisation ones anyway. The LMS, LNER and Southern had plenty of unlined black locos (don't think the GWR did? correct me if I'm wrong) The lined black was a direct crib off the LNWR and the lined green was the same from the GWR.

The blue used for a short time on class 8 Pacifics was similar to the Caledonian's livery and the maroon carried by Princesses and Duchesses was full LMS/Midland livery.

On the coaches, maroon was a direct copy of the LMS livery, although the lining was a bit different and the Western and Southern revived the Chocolate & cream and green. The Crimson/cream was new and quite bright (I thought period 3 LMS coaches looked particularly good in it) as was the blue/grey which I didnt dislike when clean.

The point is, BR could be colourful too!

 

I think you only have to look at the pilot locos at Newcastle and Liverpool Street to see that both in their respective NER and GER liveries that there were people high up in BR happy to bend the rules! As an aside 69023 has been painted a non authentic livery for pretty much all its preserved life yet I've never heard anyone complain about its colour! And how many people still refer to it as Joem?!

 

GWR freight engines were black during WW2 or at least those that got repainted.

 

Funny... the last time I saw the J15 it was in 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' unlined black and carrying the number of a classmate; it was to commemorate the re-opening of March Whitemoor yard.

 

For some reason, I especially appreciate the choice of rolling stock.

 

Turns out to be a beautiful "green four" this one! https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=8e050e24ff21ff79e09126de3d599391&oe=5B95A011