Green everywhere

I,m tired of the amount of diesels and DMUs on preserved railways that are painted in green, why do they insist in slapping everything in a coat of green? I suggested MHR to repaint there Hampshire unit back into NSE livery, you should have seen the looks I got. What is with this obsession with green? Whats wrong with BR blue, railfrieght livery or NSE.

 

The NNR has a yellow one...
http://www.mandgn.co.uk/locos_diesels_lev1_outline.htm
The 101 was blue up until the end of last season. It is now being painted green though

 

green looks nice!
blue, not so much...

 

Perhaps because most of the preserved lines have a mix of steam and diesel and to keep it reasonably authentic, the diesels have to be green? On my local line at Bo'ness, most of the diesels are blue, large logo, intercity, etc. and they look pretty rubbish on the standard rake of carmine and creams.

 

You have to remember that for most lines the enthusiast market is a relatively small part of their overall business. I'm sure there are enthusiasts for most eras of rail and I would probably appreciate most things in most colour schemes but for many NSE livery is still far too fresh a memory of hellish journey's on the daily commute - not something they want to spend their day out recreating! For that reason anyone trying to tap me up for money to preserve a Pacer unit will get a very similar look to the one you got - I remember them as horrible and have no desire to ever experience one again (and that's as an enthusiast!)

There is also a sense that the predominant colour scheme seems to be dominated by the favoured memory era of the owning generation - so for most at present its 1950's to 1960's BR - i.e. BR green (or black for some steam locos). As younger generations come through - e.g. my generation who will remember BR blue as being the scheme when we were young and chasing around watching trains, then maybe that will change.

 

Just wait until you see the interior of the Railcar when it is done. Green everywhere up to waist height

 

Perhaps not the most tactful time to chose given its relatively recent return. Still as others have said, if you buy the materials and are prepared to do it yourself ,who knows what might be the response.

 

He who pays the piper, calls the tune...

 

Klambert hasn't quite got it right as blue is becoming the preferred colour for preserved diesel traction. Just look at the number of blue locos around the place compared to a few years ago.
At Llangollen we painted our (green) class 104 into 1964-style small panel blue last year, our 108 has always been blue/grey since we bought it in 1994. Our other two units are green - one to cover the Thomas duties and the other because it never was any other colour during its mainline service!
6024KEI reckons no one would be interested in Pacer preservation. Well, we've got one - and surprise, surprise it's really popular (and it is red and cream)! It is currently outbased at the Midland Railway where the public seem to love it - you'd be amazed how many young parents are telling their kids that this is like the trains they used to go on when they are young. Remember that even the first Pacers have been out of traffic for 10 years now and they are already 26 years old - older than the first gen units were when we started preserving them.
Anyway back to the point, he who holds the paintbrush usually calls the tune but some railways do have a policy of "eras". This is of course up to the management of a line to decide. I think Klambert will find that liveries will move on as those who remember the green era shuffle off this mighty marshalling yard and younger people come to prominence at heritage lines.

Evan

 

Evan - what I actually said was that if anyone asked me for money to preserve a Pacer they'd get "that sort of look" - I didn't say that no-one would (be daft enough to) preserve one! I'm sure you love yours but I wager you'll not find many people who spent their commuting hours rammed to the roof in one of these involved in their preservation!

 

There may be a huge clue there Martin!

For me, the nicest recent 'green machine' is this one................

http://johnleyland736.mediaobject.co.uk/p63029541.html

how could anyone not like it?

 

There is nothing like making yourself look a prat on your first posting.

Hopefully you will learn to engage brain before opening gob?, then maybe not.

Regards
Chris

 

Hmm!!

Down here at Ongar some of our membership suggested repainting our Thumper into NSE livery, but when it was pointed out that they themselves could do the paint job, NO TAKERS!!, funny that.

So 205205 is gonna be BR Blue.

Barry

 

Well that wasn't needed. Maybe klambert came on a bit strong but I think they were just trying to start a bit of a discussion on DMU liveries. That response was not needed.

I hope this has not detered klambert from coming on here and voicing their opinion.

 

I doubt Green would become less popular as the Older population leave this earth, unless the Bluebell has a volunteer of about 130 tucked away somewhere then no one remembers Brighton & Chatham liveries.

 

You can't go wrong with a two tone green class 47. The only trouble with rail blue is the durability of it.

 

I can't understand why you are complaining about the colour of 205025 at the MHR when we have the following diesel locos in other liveries. Are you TROLLING?

33053 Rail Blue
45132 Rail Blue
37905 construction grey
27007 TBA?
Class 08/09/12 in black/blue/green

 

As you can see, some members of this forum haven't got the hang of common courtesy never mind the revolutionary idea that theirs is not the only valid opinion on any given topic! Many a discussion is terminated by the self righteous reminder that we do the work, you don't, so your opinion is invalid. Such is the rudeness of some members that many of us don't bother asking certain questions here.

You have raised what I regard as an interesting and valid question. I like BR blue because that's the era in which I travelled in lovely dmus around North Wales.