Surprise Loco Repaints

[Whistler40145]

In the days of BR & sometimes in Privatisation, some depots were known to stun the railway fraternity by producing some bizarre & welcomed loco repaints for railtours, depot open days or the final working of a loco prior to withdrawal from traffic.

Does anyone wish to share their memories of their favourites & those that were a flop?

The three Tinsley 20s that were repainted & named for the 'Three to the Sea' tour must standout.

 

[60163]

Gordon Highlander in Porterbrook purple - then again, thanks to that brash, loud livery I remembered that I saw it as a boy.

 

[Whistler40145]

Oh yes, it certainly was different on a Deltic.

 

[deltic1989]

Yes This......

I remember this, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

 

[317666]

Wasn't there a 205 painted in Green livery in the early 90s because it was thought they'd all be withdrawn, only for some to last on until the mid-2000s?

 

[47403]

Yes This......

I remember this, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

I saw that going through West Drayton one day and remember saying to my mate, what has posessed them to put a Deltic in that god awful livery and he turned round and said, whatever livery at least it's still running. Kinda put it into a different perspective.

 

[Whistler40145]

I agree, it's not right for a Deltic.

 

[sprinterguy]

At least Porterbrook didn't decide to paint "Gordon Highlander" in the far bolder version of their livery that they applied to two of their Crosscountry 47s, 47807 and 47817: I think that it really suited the 47s, but it would have looked sickly on the Deltic. At least the livery on the purple Deltic sympathetically followed the lines of the original green scheme: I quite liked it, it was something different. I was much more concerned about the effect that the modern light clusters had on sixteen's appearance!

 

[Whistler40145]

IMHO, cluster lights were too modern for a Deltic.

 

[47403]

37093 put into the Police livery for the old Inter City adverts, I walked into Gateshead Shed,(well the path, you could see most of what was on the Shed) and there it was stabled. The model hanging out the HST at the end of the advert was a lass called Julia and was my Uncles Girlfriend.
Just googled this and hey ho, here's a link
http://travelandmixpix.smugmug.com/...v3/1409447107_Sfv2VdS#!i=1409447107&k=Sfv2VdS

the advert is also on youtube too

 

[60163]

When that 56 was in ARTEMIS livery. Every time I see a pic of it I instinctively reach for 3D glasses :L

 

[RPM]

Wasn't there a 205 painted in Green livery in the early 90s because it was thought they'd all be withdrawn, only for some to last on until the mid-2000s?

It was one of the units written off in the Cowden crash I think.

 

[theblackwatch]

At least Porterbrook didn't decide to paint "Gordon Highlander" in the far bolder version of their livery that they applied to two of their Crosscountry 47s, 47807 and 47817: I think that it really suited the 47s, but it would have looked sickly on the Deltic. At least the livery on the purple Deltic sympathetically followed the lines of the original green scheme: I quite liked it, it was something different. I was much more concerned about the effect that the modern light clusters had on sixteen's appearance!

Absolutely - the livery was put in a Deltic style. It was strange at first, but after I while it just became the purple Deltic to me. This colour is now a heritage livery itself...

 

[hairyhandedfool]

The deltic livery was better, imo, than the liveries they applied to 57601 and 87002 (the other side wasn't so bad though). Not so sure the 47 livery would've looked 'sickly' on the deltic, but it would have been odd to say the least.

Incidentally, I think only the names were painted on the 20s for the "three to the sea" trip (the names didn't make it to the end of the year!), I'm pretty sure one was Railfreight grey and the other two were already green.

 

[deltic1989]

I saw that going through West Drayton one day and remember saying to my mate, what has posessed them to put a Deltic in that god awful livery and he turned round and said, whatever livery at least it's still running. Kinda put it into a different perspective.

Your mate is of course right, and porterbrook did pay for the overhaul, so i guess that they can paint it in whatever colour they like.
I still don't like it I thought it looked wrong on a Deltic, and the light clusters

-_-
/ \

 

[12CSVT]

37093 put into the Police livery for the old Inter City adverts, I walked into Gateshead Shed,(well the path, you could see most of what was on the Shed) and there it was stabled. The model hanging out the HST at the end of the advert was a lass called Julia and was my Uncles Girlfriend.
Just googled this and hey ho, here's a link
http://travelandmixpix.smugmug.com/...v3/1409447107_Sfv2VdS#!i=1409447107&k=Sfv2VdS

the advert is also on youtube too

It was at Stratford the following Saturday for repainting when the temporary paint job wouldn't wash off. There are/were rumours that 093 was required to work a parcels train in that livery because there was nothing else available to work it.

 

[sprinterguy]

I’ve recently remembered how fond I was of the turquoise SNCB “Sybic” livery that was applied to 90128 and the Deutsche Bahn red livery that was applied to 90129 as part of the “Freightconnection” series in 1992. I was less fussed about the far less colourful scheme given to 90130 though, even though it “completed the set”. Speaking of which though, does anybody know why 90136 also received a livery (which it still retains in part) similar to 90130, even though it wasn’t part of the “Freightconnection” scheme?

Staying with 90s, I also really liked the GNER liveried loco, 90024. It was amusing that it seemed to turn up on any working except the Kings Cross – Leeds passenger turns for which it had been repainted! I would wager that it spent more time hired out to Virgin on West Coast than it did with GNER (Though could mainly be found on parcels turns in my experience).

 

[RPM]

I’ve recently remembered how fond I was of the turquoise SNCB “Sybic” livery that was applied to 90128 and the Deutsche Bahn red livery that was applied to 90129 as part of the “Freightconnection” series in 1992. I was less fussed about the far less colourful scheme given to 90130 though, even though it “completed the set”. Speaking of which though, does anybody know why 90136 also received a livery (which it still retains in part) similar to 90130, even though it wasn’t part of the “Freightconnection” scheme?

I seem to remember it was an experiment by the management of RfD who were allegedly very taken with the SNCF livery on 90130 and so 90136 was painted as a trial for a new RfD scheme based on the French livery. It clearly didn't find favour in that particular form though.
Personally I liked the Belgian livery best, especially as first applied without the yellow ends.

 

[Whistler40145]

Did RfD have to gain permission from necessary European railway companies to paint the Class 90s into their liveries?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Once got into minor trouble for customising 08661 with the lettering "Ipswich West Bank Pilot"