Loco Cleaning & Preparation - BR Blue

[Cowley]

Definitely wasn't cellulose - the solvents in that (simple aromatics) don't smell anything like it smelt (mostly long and aliphatic, and drying oil). Brush vs spray application is probably the significant difference.

Aliphatic is my new word of the day and I honestly didn’t have to look it up. Honestly.

 

[D6130]

Aliphatic is my new word of the day and I honestly didn’t have to look it up. Honestly.

Sounds rather ostentatious to me!

 

[Leyland Bus]

The paint used in the 70s/80s etc would have been full fat leaded paint. Really good stuff, the lead was crucial for coverage and longevity. IIRC the main paint suppliers were ICI and Williamsons, with the latter developing "Spec 81" with BR. All modern coach paint is synthetic after lead was removed in the late 90s and various other ingredients have been outlawed since making the paint nowadays a totally different product. Remember, that in the day 2 pack paint contained cyanide and was thus ridiculously dangerous. Alot of places would spray single pack coach enamel rather than brush it also.

 

[Ken H]

A few thoughts.

When did an agrcultural tractor with a flail brush become available as a cheaper alternating to a drive through washer? Used today by small trucking companies.

Who painted the data on the coach ends with lifting history etc? Looked hand painted. Skilled job. Anyone got a pic?

Were bogie washers a thing? Lift the body off the bogies and scrub, or immerse in cleaning fluid to remove grease and toilet effluent.

What about seats? Was the moquette cleaned ever? What about repairing rips and general wear. Not traIn, but there was a pic of the sewing machine shop at West Yorkshire Road Car with blokes making bus seat covers. And the orange curtains needed a wash too!

And when did cleaners start using vacuum cleaners?

 

[WesternLancer]

The paint used in the 70s/80s etc would have been full fat leaded paint. Really good stuff, the lead was crucial for coverage and longevity. IIRC the main paint suppliers were ICI and Williamsons, with the latter developing "Spec 81" with BR. All modern coach paint is synthetic after lead was removed in the late 90s and various other ingredients have been outlawed since making the paint nowadays a totally different product. Remember, that in the day 2 pack paint contained cyanide and was thus ridiculously dangerous. Alot of places would spray single pack coach enamel rather than brush it also.

Was lead in paint still used as late as the 80s? That would make dust from rubbing paintwork down rather dangerous I would think. I’d assumed it would have been phased out by the 70s.

Interesting to learn.

 

[Leyland Bus]

Was lead in paint still used as late as the 80s? That would make dust from rubbing paintwork down rather dangerous I would think. I’d assumed it would have been phased out by the 70s.

Interesting to learn.

Definitely removed in the 90s and by the time stocks had dwindled you'd still have had people using it into the 2000s. I still have several tins of bus paint (Masons P-type) that contain lead. Smells lovely!

 

[Ashley Hill]

When did an agrcultural tractor with a flail brush become available as a cheaper alternating to a drive through washer?

There were a pair at Exeter in the late 80s. I think they appeared there with the introduction of the Skippers (Devon talk for 142s). I believe they were later sold to the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway.

What about seats? Was the moquette cleaned ever? What about repairing rips and general wear. Not traIn, but there was a pic of the sewing machine shop at West Yorkshire Road Car with blokes making bus seat covers. And the orange curtains needed a wash too!

And when did cleaners start using vacuum cleaners?

You may find this BTF film called Spick & Span interesting. It shows carriage cleaning back in the days of Mk1s.

 

[Ken H]

You may find this BTF film called Spick & Span interesting. It shows carriage cleaning back in the days of Mk1s.

Thanks for that. Nice film.

 

[greyman42]

As I recall, the first new build to be sprayed was the 158s which were built at Derby between 1989 and 1992. Both Derby and York had new paint shops with spray booths built for this as some of the units came to York for spraying.

 

[Ashley Hill]

There is a BTF film which features an EMU being sprayed blue sometime in the late sixties. Im blowed if i can remember which it is,but i`ll keep looking.

 

[Leyland Bus]

There is a BTF film which features an EMU being sprayed blue sometime in the late sixties. Im blowed if i can remember which it is,but i`ll keep looking.

Mostly likely sprayed in 1k for the time, that wasn't so unusual.

As I recall, the first new build to be sprayed was the 158s which were built at Derby between 1989 and 1992. Both Derby and York had new paint shops with spray booths built for this as some of the units came to York for spraying.

They'll have been full blown 2 pack paint jobs then.

 

[greyman42]

They'll have been full blown 2 pack paint jobs then.

That's correct.