Help: Wagon Restoration Project.

Evening All.

A small group of us are currently restoring an old 5 plank coal wagon, with the livery "Wigan Coal & Iron Co."

See here for an example:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/5353765974/

Now our problem is finding an accurate 'colour' photo, to provide guidance on correct chassis / body etc, colour scheme.

If anybody could very kindly shed some light on this matter, we'd be greatly appreciative.

 

Hmm, the main body colour could easily be red oxide or grey, looking on a google image search it seems both colours have been modelled. I suspect you could probably reasonably do either. The solebar looks to be the same colour as the main body with black iron work picked out, white lettering shaded black, a nice sign-writing job for somebody!

 

Hey there @flying scotsman123 .

The main body colour we are fairly sure is Bauxite (but not confirmed in a photo as yet), and white writing with black shadow effect.
However like you say, there are several models of this wagon, each with partially varied steel work and chassis colours.

In the interest of authenticity, we would really like to base our project on real world photos rather than models.

Fingers crossed somebody out there has a colour photo stashed away in their collection

 

I don't have any hard information but I would suggest contacting the Historical Model Railway Society who have a lot of data.

https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs.html?private_owner=841

 

Brill, Thanks for the tip, interesting !

 

The late Jim Peden was the expert on the Wigan Coal & Iron Co as he had written his final college thesis on the subject. He left all his negatives to the Industrial Railway Society so there is always the chance they might have a copy. I presume you've tried Wigan Library for any info they might have. There's a chap in the Gauge 0 Guild who has modelled several WC&ICo wagons - in red oxide. Where is this restoration taking place?
Ray.

 

Thanks @marshall5, much appreciate all views on this matter.

Very pleased to view everybody's photos and information, especially since a couple of vital points seem to have arrose.
Don't know if you've noticed, but the 'Wigan Coal & Iron Co.' photos seen so far, all seem to be based on 'wooden' chassis, not metal.
Also, their body and chassis appear to be the same colour.

So looks more like we have a theme for our next wagon project rather than the current one.
Any further photos / information would still be greatly appreciated, if anybody can provide / suggest.

 

It would be very unlikely given the age of the WC&ICo wagons to have been on steel underframes - I think that may have been an example of 'model manufacturers license'. Wooden underframes were normally painted body colour with the ironwork picked out in black. I don't suppose any appeared in one of Bill Hudson's volumes on P.O. wagons?
Ray.