Bittern - Red Name Plates. When, why?

I see from the videos and pics posted of Bittern on the Palatine that she is sporting a brand spanking new pair of red nameplates!

I saw her on the Valentines Express two months ago with the "traditional" bronze letters on dark background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUKOy2P7YYY. I am not overly impressed by the new make-over!

Just wondered what the reason for the change was. I know Oliver Cromwell carries one of each but never really knew why.

 

She carried red and black during her career. MHR have changed shedplate to 61B . And painted Ferryhill along the buffer beam area. I think it is to make it appeal more to the public when it goes back on the mainline 24:7 in June. When i asked colin chambers, he didnt give me a good answer. But i think this is the reason.

70013 carries different ones cos they couldnt make their mind up on colour.

 

Error

 

They aren't new nameplates, just the same old ones painted with a red background instead of black.
This is how she appeared when she last worked for BR in 1966 as a Ferryhill loco, as she is visiting Scotland for the first time under her cuurent ownership this year it was thought fitting to recreate that appearance. Guess you can't please everyone, funny how it's always a coat of paint that seams to stir the emotions quicker than anything else!

 

Thanks for the info LN850, 73129, Brit7000.

Just to be clear, I think any engine owner should be able to do what they want with their loco, so I was not moaning that they shouldn't have done it. I prefer the black but that's just me.

I love Olton Hall in maroon and am looking forward to seeing 6023 in blue (just as long as the nameplates aren't red!)

 

A number of classes had periods in BR days of either black or red backed nameplates - in the case of BBs blue or red - but I'm not sure if this was an official edict or simply regional preference.