Wagon Paint

Can anyone help me regarding the correct british standard colour for BR freight wagon grey?

I have the code for BR bauxite but while grey seems an obvious colour I'm wondering if anyone has the correct specification/paint code etc!

Cheers!

 

This would be useful to know, I've not needed to look at BR grey paint yet but I have a couple of wagons in mind for the future that it would be needed for.

However, I've got a feeling that authentic BR wagon grey paint is one of those 'unknown' shades, a bit like Crimson Lake? I'm certain I've read somewhere that works used war surplus battleship grey, and also mixed their own grey from black and white. How true these stories really are, I don't know.

What do other railways use, even if it's not necessarily the precise shade? I'd have thought that'd be good enough. Once weathered there's always quite a bit of variation in wagon shades anyway.

Paul

 

TR Williamson actully do a colour of BR freight brown and BR freight Grey. although they vary the names on their tins the spec number is the same. But you would have to call them and ask.

I find the "Freight Brown" that they provide looks much more correct than the orangey bauxite colour that most people paint fitted wagons with. I havent used the grey yet though.

 

If it is any help to anyone , the bauxite reference number for Williamsons is 03040 BS 446.

Not had a need to use the grey though as all of our running freight is fitted.

Regards
Chris

 

That's a weakness of many railway's demonstration freights. To me the archetypal steam era freight train was an unfitted mixture of coal wagons, wooden opens (short wheelbase, not pipe wagons) and box vans in a proportion of about 2:1, and mostly grey. I guess part of the problem is that many demonstration freights have been assembled relatively recently and have had to use what was available, and perhaps there is a reluctance to work unfitted trains nowadays, but even though they seem to please the photographers, they just don't look right to me.

 

Agreed but I guess it all depends on what era one is aiming for?

Regards
Chris:

 

Not anywhere I've worked. Were these demonstration freights also carrying passengers in the brake van? Ours does, and is hence required to be fully fitted.

 

I don't think Williamsons 'Freight grey' is suitable for BR era unfitted stock. From the sample I got it seemed to be a quite dark grey.

 

Along with complex track layouts and 'proper' shunting, unfitted freights are one of the things that we seem to have largely lost. Ihe last one I saw in operation was on the Bluebell and the driver didn't seem to have the hang of it, judging by the vigorous way he set off and the brake van at the end poitively leapt into motion as all the slack in the couplings was taken up! As for shunting, the way we used to knock wagons into each other would precipitate a full scale enquiry into a collision, today! If you want to see what shunting was like, there's a brief glimpse in this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vljRhfLHPc0&feature=related around about 12 minutes in, although the whole thing is worth watching.

 

We have used Dulux "Tideway" (309118B21) for unfitted grey which seems to work quite well. Personally I'd recommend the metalshield / weathershield range, as while its a bit more £/tin, it does seem to last much better and resist fading (and we'd much rather get round to painting something else instead of the Forth Rail Bridge syndrome... which it seems we can no longer use following yesterday's announcement by NR!).

 

Freight Brown was a later BR colour from the 70s, which replaced bauxite. It's not right for most of the wagons on our preserved lines. However, remember that in their working life wagons would have quickly lost their shiny new appearance and been covered with all sorts of grime, so it depends what look you're trying to create really.

I've used Bauxite from Williamsons (it is actually called 'red oxide' on the tin; that's the colour not the type of paint!) and been most happy with it. I've also used a cheaper black (Crown I think, but not 100% sure now) on underframes and after a couple of years it is turning green with algae. Conclusion: investing in more expensive paint leads to a better and more duable finish. Cheap paint is a false economy.

 

The wagon boffin down at Pentrefelyn C&W will be able to tell you! He's sorting me a tin for W68669

 

Would it be possible to obtain the colour code for the BR Bauxite. I believe the codes were different 64 onwards and pre 64? Either way I would like to get the colour match

 

I use this stuff from Williamsons:
03040BS446
Transpeed Polyurethane Finish Red Oxide

It's not cheap!

Phil

 

Kind thanks for this. Already have a request in for a quote.

 

I copied this information from the reference library in the NRM
B.T.C. Spec. 32A For Covered Vehicles & Vans
Item
13 Canvass Roof Paint.
14 .....................Finishing Paint.
20 Stone Colour for Brakevan Interiors above 3' 6"...........B.S. 381C 361 Light Stone
16 Freight stock Red for lower walls up to 3' 6" & external body on fitted & piped vehicles……….
BS 381C 446 Red Oxide
30 Freight stock Grey for unfitted vehicles...................B.S. 381C 693 Aircraft Grey.
75 Pale cream emulsion for interior wood surfaces of containers and vans..........B.S. 2660 4-056 of 1955. (Nearest B.S 4800 10 C 31.)