Brown vs Grey rolling stock

[Owencr905]

I’m actually asking this question because I’m trying to formulate a collection of wagons for my model layout.

Looking online I can see the that in steam era most common freight wagons (box vans, flatbeds, brake vans etc) were commonly either brown or grey. I’m wondering why there was the 2 colours? Is it era, region, something else?

Any info would be much appreciated!

 

[Gloster]

Grey meant that the wagon was not fitted with a through vacuum brake, only a handbrake, while brown/bauxite meant that it had a through vacuum brake. There were two slightly different shades of the two colours at different times, but you usually couldn’t tell under the dirt.

 

[Owencr905]

Grey meant that the wagon was not fitted with a through vacuum brake, only a handbrake, while brown/bauxite meant that it had a through vacuum brake. There were two slightly different shades of the two colours at different times, but you usually couldn’t tell under the dirt.

Ok thanks very much