Worst/best preservation liveries?

[yorksrob]

Another terrible one (albeit memorable and strangely likeable) is this work of art on 45212; iirc it was part of a wallpaper advert?

Brilliant in its way !

 

[sprinterguy]

B.R. Black on Flying Scotsman (1 April 198?)

The April Fools was with 'City of Truro' in 1985 - Unless I've missed something, the only black livery 'Flying Scotsman' has worn in preservation is LNER Wartime black in more recent times.

 

[HOOVER29]

50002 in Nanking Blue. Interesting but looks wrong on a 50.
View attachment 205226
Photo, Weebly

LoadHaul on 50035 Had me spitting my tea
50044 in two tone green from 2009
Not preserved at the time 50007 Brunswick Green
Plenty of spoons carried it but why a 50 & then rename it too!

 

[sprinterguy]

On first seeing the title of this thread, I initially assumed it referred to the bespoke liveries some preserved lines applied to their locos in their early days: My favourite of those (and one of my favourite preservation liveries in general) is the scheme that I'm pleased to see that the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway have reapplied to their Ivatt 2-6-2T:

I also liked some of the 1970s "neverwazza" liveries on steam loco classes that never wore them in revenue earning service - I note that the Caledonian Blue that adorned Fairburn tank 42085 on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway has already been mentioned, but I also liked Black Five 45407 in Furness Railway red at Carnforth. In more recent times, I really liked 8F 48624 in LMS Crimson Lake:


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Something similar looks less impressive on 50017...

View attachment 205207

My worst would be 55016 in Porterbrook PurpleView attachment 205213

Agree. Deltic 16's front end vandalism and its paint scheme were, for me, a very big NO.

Must be a purple thing: Taw Valley's purple livery in 2022, for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee, made me cringe.

I liked all three of those referenced liveries, particularly the LMS 'Streamliner' 50017 (It looked well at the head of the Pullman liveried 'Northern Belle', on the one occasion I saw it actually hauling a train while in that scheme), though I agree that the WIPAC headlights on the Deltic were something of a travesty.

The pinkish-purple 'West Country' looked great in the sun, IMO.

 

[NB5025]

On first seeing the title of this thread, I initially assumed it referred to the bespoke liveries some preserved lines applied to their locos in their early days: My favourite of those (and one of my favourite preservation liveries in general) is the scheme that I'm pleased to see that the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway have reapplied to their Ivatt 2-6-2T:
View attachment 205299
I also liked some of the 1970s "neverwazza" liveries on steam loco classes that never wore them in revenue earning service - I note that the Caledonian Blue that adorned Fairburn tank 42085 on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway has already been mentioned, but I also liked Black Five 45407 in Furness Railway red at Carnforth. In more recent times, I really liked 8F 48624 in LMS Crimson Lake:
View attachment 205300

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I liked all three of those referenced liveries, particularly the 'Streamliner' 50017, though I agree that the WIPAC headlights on the Deltic were something of a travesty.

The pinkish-purple 'West Country' looked great in the sun, IMO.

I completely agree! I was going to mention the red K&WVR Ivatt, but you bet me too it . I also love the 8F in red. I'm a sucker for any red loco.

I really like the Caley tank at Bo'ness in LMS red. I like the idea of painting locos in might have been liveries as points of interest.

Another livery that I liked was the class 31 at Great Central I think that was in golden ochre.

As for worst, I don't think there is anything I really don't like. Perhaps at a push, there's too much BR black. I think it was great to have locos in that livery for a long time, as that's what enthusiasts remembered. But now those times are sadly passing, perhaps we could have more locos in earlier liveries for variety. Also non enthusiasts struggle to tell the difference between 'all the black ones'. But I do like BR black with the lion, it's great!

Another one I loved was CanPac in express blue last time around. And the King at Didcot for the same reason.

 

[sprinterguy]

I completely agree! I was going to mention the red K&WVR Ivatt, but you bet me too it . I also love the 8F in red. I'm a sucker for any red loco.

I really like the Caley tank at Bo'ness in LMS red. I like the idea of painting locos in might have been liveries as points of interest.

Another livery that I liked was the class 31 at Great Central I think that was in golden ochre.

As for worst, I don't think there is anything I really don't like. Perhaps at a push, there's too much BR black. I think it was great to have locos in that livery for a long time, as that's what enthusiasts remembered. But now those times are sadly passing, perhaps we could have more locos in earlier liveries for variety. Also non enthusiasts struggle to tell the difference between 'all the black ones'. But I do like BR black with the lion, it's great!

Another one I loved was CanPac in express blue last time around. And the King at Didcot for the same reason.

I have a similar fondness for red/maroon locos and for the express passenger blue livery. I'm pleased that 'Sir Nigel Gresley' has retained the latter livery through multiple overhauls over the past 30+ years (barring a brief time in Wartime black in 2022) and for me it's become synonymous with that loco, even though it did look good in LNER garter blue on the main line during the seventies and eighties: It's been great to have had 'Bittern' on the main line in garter blue with fairings reapplied (and subsequently to see a garter blue A4 without fairings again) in more recent years.

On which note, I also agree that I miss the earlier days of preservation when more locos were painted in the pre-nationalisation liveries that were only a generation or two removed from the present day at the time: The K1 really suited LNER apple green despite never having worn it in original service - it really looked right when paired with the matching liveried K4 for the West Highland line centenary workings in 1994.

Similarly, it's difficult to think of a preservation livery that I actively dislike: I suppose I'm not entirely sold on the darker green livery now worn by 'River Irt' on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, but that may only be because I'd grown so accustomed to the lighter apple(?) green livery it had worn for many years.

 

[43096]

Class 14 hydraulics with "Western" liveries. I particularly liked:
D9537: desert sand (akin to D1000)
D9551: golden ochre (akin to D1015)

The desert sand livery did look good on D9537, as the photo shows.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The desert sand livery did look good on D9537, as the photo shows.
View attachment 205305

Mmmm lovely. I can never have too many photos of D9537.

 

[43096]

Mmmm lovely. I can never have too many photos of D9537.

Go on then, here's one of it in black, too. Which also looked good.

 

[topydre]

The April Fools was with 'City of Truro' in 1985 - Unless I've missed something, the only black livery 'Flying Scotsman' has worn in preservation is LNER Wartime black in more recent times.

Sorry, my mistake. Edited. Many thanks

 

[Krokodil]

It's been great to have had 'Bittern' on the main line in garter blue with fairings reapplied

I particularly liked it when it masqueraded as Dominion of New Zealand, complete with stainless steel bling.

 

[Forty29]

Always disliked the shade's of green on 37197 and 47522 Doncaster Enterprise for the same reason. Just didn't suit in my eyes.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I particularly liked it when it masqueraded as Dominion of New Zealand, complete with stainless steel bling.

I fondly recall it (albeit non-operational) in its 1988 to 1995* guise as 2509 Silver Link, complete in 1935 silver-grey livery.
It is a livery I like (own all four Hornby 80th Anniversary silver A4s) and I do hope another (operational) Streak one day has "time" as 2510, 2511 or 2512.

* Bittern was taken frrom public view in 1995, iirc; retaining the Silver Link identity and livery until completion of full overhaul.

 

[Spamcan81]

Something I would like to see, which I'm sure would go down like a lead balloon with many people even as a one off, is a 'realistically weathered' steam loco. I don't mean to the extremes of the filthy locos seen when steam was being run down in the 60s, more what a normal working loco would have looked like in earlier decades.

34070 is currently running in a “weathered” condition.

 

[sprinterguy]

I particularly liked it when it masqueraded as Dominion of New Zealand, complete with stainless steel bling.

Yeah, that was quite something to see, and the return of a preserved Gresley Pacific with twin tenders to the main line as well!

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I fondly recall it (albeit non-operational) in its 1988 to 1995* guise as 2509 Silver Link, complete in 1935 silver-grey livery.
It is a livery I like (own all four Hornby 80th Anniversary silver A4s) and I do hope another (operational) Streak one day has "time" as 2510, 2511 or 2512.

* Bittern was taken frrom public view in 1995, iirc; retaining the Silver Link identity and livery until completion of full overhaul.

It certainly was good to have an opportunity to see an A4 in the original silver-grey livery. I recall viewing it on display at the North Tyneside Railway Museum, so that's three different identities I've seen 'Bittern' carrying!

 

[alexl92]

I'm a sucker for a steam loco in lined blue, so I love Hollybank No.3 at Chasewater, SECR 323 Bluebell, Caley 828 and there's also a railway, which I cannot for the life of me remember, which has a small 0-4-0ST (either RSH or HL I think) in a two-tone blue livery which I also really like.

 

[SECR 65]

I'm a sucker for a steam loco in lined blue, so I love Hollybank No.3 at Chasewater, SECR 323 Bluebell, Caley 828 and there's also a railway, which I cannot for the life of me remember, which has a small 0-4-0ST (either RSH or HL I think) in a two-tone blue livery which I also really like.

What about 3871 Dave at Watercress?

 

[HertiageFan]

What about 3871 Dave at Watercress?

No, terrible livery

 

[Edders23]

The thing with locos in preservation is that it is the owners choice as to what livery.

The number of liveries and variants not appearing on a class 50 is smaller than the ones that have. I personally think it makes things a little more interesting and maybe attracts enthusiasts to visit lines in order to get a photo of the loco in that livery.

As for liveries I would think it would be a fair bet that if you asked 50 enthusiasts for their favourite or least favourite livery you would get 50 different answers

as for the austerity tank I don't think it looks too bad although it would be tough to keep clean

 

[KevinTurvey]

I must admit I've never been a fan of West Coasts maroon/brown, to my eyes just looks a bit drab on their locomotives, also a bit difficult to photograph successfully. (although might be the sensor on my camera!)

 

[43096]

I must admit I've never been a fan of West Coasts maroon/brown, to my eyes just looks a bit drab on their locomotives, also a bit difficult to photograph successfully. (although might be the sensor on my camera!)

I have never liked maroon as a livery. The odd thing about WCRC is the stock is a much redder maroon than the locos (which are more of a “turd brown”). You’d think they would use the same shade…

 

[Forty29]

I agree on West Coast livery for their locomotives, always puts me off going out to photograph them. Perhaps full yellow end's would broaden their appeal and help with camera sensors too!

 

[xotGD]

I have never liked maroon as a livery. The odd thing about WCRC is the stock is a much redder maroon than the locos (which are more of a “turd brown”). You’d think they would use the same shade…

This shows the difference in the colours very nicely...



Mind, when they were providing a free ride behind a 33 out of Windermere, the colour of the loco and stock was a secondary consideration!

 

[43096]

Mind, when they were providing a free ride behind a 33 out of Windermere, the colour of the loco and stock was a secondary consideration!

Very true. Mind you, when I did that service it had 37669 on one end, which is even more acceptable than a Sulzer!

 

[tumbles]

14901 when at Swanage in 90s had a pretty awful large loco grey railfright (spelt that way) scheme. Probably got a film shot of it somewhere

 

[Isle of Mull]

My worst would be 55016 in Porterbrook PurpleView attachment 205213

To be honest the purple on its own was tolerable but the WIPAC lights just really sealed the deal

 

[nanstallon]

On first seeing the title of this thread, I initially assumed it referred to the bespoke liveries some preserved lines applied to their locos in their early days: My favourite of those (and one of my favourite preservation liveries in general) is the scheme that I'm pleased to see that the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway have reapplied to their Ivatt 2-6-2T:
View attachment 205299
I

..

I liked the K&WR livery on its Ivatt tank because it showed the then (1968) newly reopened line as a railway in its own right, rather than copying BR.

 

[D6130]

..

I liked the K&WR livery on its Ivatt tank because it showed the then (1968) newly reopened line as a railway in its own right, rather than copying BR.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the KWVR painted their USA 0-6-0.tank loco no.30072 in a rather hideous yellow livery with a silver-painted smokebox. I believe it was a close copy of one of the American railroad companies' livery....but I'm afraid it didn't do it for me.

 

[nanstallon]

Unfortunately, at the same time, the KWVR painted their USA 0-6-0.tank loco no.30072 in a rather hideous yellow livery with a silver-painted smokebox. I believe it was a close copy of one of the American railroad companies' livery....but I'm afraid it didn't do it for me.

Yes, it was a bit 'Toytown', but as it was a USA tank I suppose you could justify the attempt to 'Americanise' it. I have to say that I quite liked it!

 

[HOOVER29]

14901 when at Swanage in 90s had a pretty awful large loco grey railfright (spelt that way) scheme. Probably got a film shot of it somewhere

Still like it when I saw it in October 2024