Increase in Blue & Grey preserved stock.

[TonyW590]

I do remember seeing Gresley coaches in blood and custard passing through Stratford in the late '50s but they didn't really look good. The Thompson steel coaches always seemed to be maroon though the Gresleys were special coaches (diners, kitchen etc.) so maybe there wasn't a priority to paint them maroon.

W9135E was famous on the WR: https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5264054255

 

[kje7812]

The DMU group West Midlands have paint a two car 108 in blue and grey. Hoped to be operational soon.

I suspect it will be a while before the SVR C&W paints the mark 1s in B&G. One of them said over their dead body, and another asked if the person suggesting the repaint was paying.

 

[Forty29]

Is that the DMU at Kidderminster? If so l think it was spotted outside the shed today?

 

[kje7812]

Is that the DMU at Kidderminster? If so l think it was spotted outside the shed today?

Indeed, it looks rather nice.

 

[Steve B]

Some of the Gresley Buffet Cars made it into Blue/Grey, and possibly some of the full brakes (although that may have been all-over blue.

The Epping Ongar Railway has a blue/Grey set - if my memory serves me corredtly it is a Mk1/Mk2 mix

 

[JKF]

I wonder if we’ll ever see a rake of Mk1s in Inter City livery? I remember some regional services running with them I think.

I prefer blue and grey for Mk2s and find maroon quite a drab livery and don’t really like the inauthenticity.

 

[AM9]

I wonder if we’ll ever see a rake of Mk1s in Inter City livery? I remember some regional services running with them I think.

I prefer blue and grey for Mk2s and find maroon quite a drab livery and don’t really like the inauthenticity.

I think it's more about the freshness of the bodywork, - unless one is looking for a dilapidated period look. The state of the paintwork and its ability to be cleaned to a gloss finish affects the overall look. For much of the Mk1 period, BR was using paints that suffered from water runs from cantrail gutters, windows and slam door openings.
At some time (in the '60s I think) there was a switch to more robust alkyd resin paints that not only survived continuous water runs, but also allowed more aggressive detergents in auto body washers to keep the finish better looking for longer. That may have been the reason why the grey/blue finish looked better for longer.
Personally, I always liked the greens used, the modified Brunswick green for non-SR EMUs, and the maroon for express stock. The malachite green used for most SR stock (and the GE slammers) was subject to deterioration but green in general is a better 'transport' colour as it blends well in UK scenery.

 

[SECR 65]

TSO 4999 at the Spa Valley Railway carries Blue/Grey on one side, and BR (S) green on the other.

 

[chipbury]

I would imagine the increase of the blue/grey livery on preserved stock will partially be due to the age of the people owning/restoring it.

 

[PeterC]

All over blue for non-gangwayed hauled stock until the last was withdrawn (from the GN lines) in 1976.
Also initially for all DMUs except classes 119-120, 123, 124, 201-203 , which went straight to blue/grey (althogh I think i recall seeing a class 120 with one all-blue power car)
EMus were initially all blue, but those with gangways (BEP/CEP, BIG/CIG, VEP, REP/TC) went to blue/grey very early (some were delivered new in that livery). Not sure if any AM9 was ever all-over blue.
If I recall correctly, 312s were the last to be deliveered in blue, and 313s the first in blue/grey.
Blue/grey for all units started to be applied in the early '80s.

I remember my ex coming home from a business meeting in North London which involved using the C&GN from Moorgate. She told me that she had caught an "inter-city tube train".

 

[fgwrich]

TSO 4999 at the Spa Valley Railway carries Blue/Grey on one side, and BR (S) green on the other.

4999 is a bit of an odd one - it’s actually carried that Blue Grey for a number of years and was sold by Riviera as a fully blue / grey coach (ex Bounds Green charter vehicle no less). The Spa Valley have so far only repainted the one side into their more traditional BR Green.

Also for the list is HST TRBF 40706 at the Colne Valley, operating as part of the 125 Heritage fleet.

 

[peteb]

Given 2028 is only 15 months away, and it'll be 60 years since the 15 guinea special in August 2028, it'd be good to get a decent rake of mainline-certified mk1's set up in appropriate livery. These would need to be mainly in maroon but with a few carriages in blue and grey, as per the original train. I think there'll be a real public interest in that anniversary, and the blue and grey is symbolic of the new order pushing steam out in favour of diesel and electric. It actually looks quite good next to a black 5!!

 

[TonyW590]

althogh I think i recall seeing a class 120 with one all-blue power car)

There were certainly Scottish Region Class 120s in all-over blue, and included those few power cars with the *massive* guards/luggage area. Inverness to Aberdeen was a regular haunt.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Class_120_train_to_Aberdeen.jpg

 

[Mike Machin]

Given 2028 is only 15 months away, and it'll be 60 years since the 15 guinea special in August 2028, it'd be good to get a decent rake of mainline-certified mk1's set up in appropriate livery. These would need to be mainly in maroon but with a few carriages in blue and grey, as per the original train. I think there'll be a real public interest in that anniversary, and the blue and grey is symbolic of the new order pushing steam out in favour of diesel and electric. It actually looks quite good next to a black 5!!

Actually, the 1968 15 guinea special was formed of ten MK1 coaches with seven of those including the two catering vehicles being in blue and grey. Only the outer two BSOs on each end and one TSO towards the centre of the train were in maroon livery.

 

[peteb]

Actually, the 1968 15 guinea special was formed of ten MK1 coaches with seven of those including the two catering vehicles being in blue and grey. Only the outer two BSOs on each end and one TSO towards the centre of the train were in maroon livery.

You're absolutely right, I'm looking at a colour photo of No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell at Ribblehead, and there are indeed only three maroon coaches in the consist! Someone had better start painting......!!

 

[Krokodil]

Given 2028 is only 15 months away, and it'll be 60 years since the 15 guinea special in August 2028, it'd be good to get a decent rake of mainline-certified mk1's set up in appropriate livery. These would need to be mainly in maroon but with a few carriages in blue and grey, as per the original train. I think there'll be a real public interest in that anniversary, and the blue and grey is symbolic of the new order pushing steam out in favour of diesel and electric. It actually looks quite good next to a black 5!!

Will WCRC have fitted CDL by 2028 though?

 

[Forty29]

I wouldn't count on it! It would be great to see Mk1 coaches in the 15 guineas line up though. But the odds are against it! WCRC shouldn't be so stubborn and just get on with the job of CDL but repainting coaches as well is a long shot.

 

[david l]

Given 2028 is only 15 months away, and it'll be 60 years since the 15 guinea special in August 2028, it'd be good to get a decent rake of mainline-certified mk1's set up in appropriate livery. These would need to be mainly in maroon but with a few carriages in blue and grey, as per the original train. I think there'll be a real public interest in that anniversary, and the blue and grey is symbolic of the new order pushing steam out in favour of diesel and electric. It actually looks quite good next to a black 5!!

Was done some years ago (50th anniversary) at East Lancs Railway in terms of correct liveries for the coaches in the formation (although not BSO's or catering vehicles) which also included M4933 & M4937, the only two survivors from that train. Also tried for 2 x black 5's but that was thwarted by late arrivals to the event.

 

[37069]

Will WCRC have fitted CDL by 2028 though?

Well they now have seven CDL-fitted Mk. 1s.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Much as I'd really like to. see one of the preserved LMR "porthole" Corridor Third carriages painted blue + grey, I suspect it won't happen. The Stanier design stock is generally kept as one rake.

 

[peteb]

Much as I'd really like to. see one of the preserved LMR "porthole" Corridor Third carriages painted blue + grey, I suspect it won't happen. The Stanier design stock is generally kept as one rake.

I wonder if they could apply vinyls to a carriage in need of a repaint anyway? Then any damage caused by vinyl removal is taken care of in a scheduled repaint.

 

[alexl92]

As I understand it, Wensleydale's maroon stock is vac braked where the blue/grey is dual but I could be wrong.
I've often wondered whether there'd be any demand for a dual-braked set of blue/grey early MK2s which could be hired for use a diesel galas? Similar to how the LSL Scotrail MK3 set did the rounds a few years ago (what happened to that? It appears to have been split up?)

 

[D6130]

As I understand it, Wensleydale's maroon stock is vac braked where the blue/grey is dual but I could be wrong.
I've often wondered whether there'd be any demand for a dual-braked set of blue/grey early MK2s which could be hired for use a diesel galas? Similar to how the LSL Scotrail MK3 set did the rounds a few years ago (what happened to that? It appears to have been split up?)

The main problem with that idea - good as it may sound - is that the set concerned would have to be main line certified, with the huge additional maintenance and inspection costs that would be involved. Otherwise every time the set was hired out to another railway, it would have to be split-up into individual vehicles which would have to be transported by road - at enormous expense - to and from the railway concerned. I'm afraid this would be a non-starter in my humble opinion.

 

[HertiageFan]

As I understand it, Wensleydale's maroon stock is vac braked where the blue/grey is dual but I could be wrong.
I've often wondered whether there'd be any demand for a dual-braked set of blue/grey early MK2s which could be hired for use a diesel galas? Similar to how the LSL Scotrail MK3 set did the rounds a few years ago (what happened to that? It appears to have been split up?)

The mk2s are only air braked, mk1s only vacuum