BRITISH RAILWAYS WESTERN REGION LOCOMOTIVE LIVERIES 1948 - 1955
Edited 8/11/23
Introductory notes
I define the various livery periods of BR as –
Period 0 – 1948-1951; unbranded company liveries, experimental liveries.
Period 1 − Up to mid 1956; the first standard liveries, 1st BR emblem. Carmine (Crimson) or carmine and cream coaches
Period 2 – Late 1955 – end of steam; following the 1953 Transport Act there was greater regional freedom in livery matters, 2nd BR emblem (from mid 1956), Crimson Lake (Maroon) coaches.
Period 3 – 1964 onwards; Blue period
Period 4 – Sectorisation - InterCity, Provincial, etc.
As usual there was a great deal of overlap between the periods.
Western Region Locomotive Liveries, Period 0
Summary
As a result of the 1946 Transport Act the railways of Britain were nationalised on 1st January 1948, and the GWR became the Western Region of BR. The railways were to be run by the Railway Executive for the British Transport Commission.
There had been discussions since October 1947 between Robert Riddles (Chief Mechanical Engineer) and BTC in regard to liveries. The initial proposals were that freight and shunting locomotives be plain black and other steam locos green (type not specified), electric locos light blue and mainline diesel golden ochre.
On 1st January it was decided that locos be painted in their existing style pending a decision on livery. Locos were to be lettered ‘British Railways’ in full. Initially locomotives continued to be turned out in GWR 1946 livery except that company lettering was omitted pending a specification for the BR lettering. From mid January repainted engines were lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS in full on tender or tank side.
The wording was originally in standard GWR style but later changed to 6” BR Gill Sans in cream. The lettering was spaced as ‘Great Western’ had been before it, ie the central space was centred on the middle axle box and the H and R equidistant from it. (The only exception was the eight wheel tender running behind 5068, where the end and central spaces were equal). There were never any transfers made for the BR lettering so it was always hand painted.
On 5th January a prefix system was approved pending the revised numbering system. For a period of about six weeks from late January locomotives left the works with a 2” high white ‘W’ painted below the number plates. Locomotives noted with a W are listed in The RCTS ‘Locomotives of the GWR’ Once the renumbering system had been sorted out at the end of February no more engines received the W, as ex GWR engines were to keep their original numbers and their cast number plates. During the immediate pre and post nationalisation period some South Wales engines were being renumbered, to tidy up the system. To distinguish new from old the new plates did not carry the letters GWR.
The official BR (ex LMS) power classification system was applied to all engines but the markings were ignored by BR(W), as engines continued to carry the GWR letter system within the coloured route disc on the cab side, usually just above the number plate.
During 1948 LMS style smoke box number plates were introduced. The rimless cast iron number plates had 5” high numbers (painted white) in the official ‘BR Gill’ type face. The first few however, were cast in brass with 4” numbers, probably for the engines that appeared in the experimental livery styles. In 1949 a few engines of 2021 Class were sent to Crewe for servicing and returned with LMS 1936 pattern smoke box number plates, eg 2111 & 2040. Some locos carried both number plates and buffer plate numbers in the early days.
Engine sheds or motive power depots were reorganised on the LMS model where depots were grouped under a ‘principal’ depot. Each principal depot on the WR was allocated a code number 81A – 89A and the remaining sheds given an alphabetic suffix from B down to G. Generally these were in the order of the distance from the main depot, but not always. Cast elliptical plates (7.25” x 4.5”) with raised rim carrying the shed code were carried on the smoke box door mid way between the central boss and the lower rim. The lettering and the rim were picked out in white. For a short while some locos carried both smoke box plate and GWR style platform angle lettering.
The official BR liveries for passenger locomotives were not decided until early 1949 so, until that time, it can only be assumed that new or repainted lined green engines appeared in the appropriate GW livery without branding. On 15th April it was agreed that apart from locos selected for livery trials ‘all other locos apart from express passenger to be black; passenger and mixed traffic locos to be lined’ (lining style not specified). Freight and shunting locomotives were appearing in plain black during 1948 although records of this period are pretty well non-existent. The first lined black engines appeared in August 1948 when Halls appeared so painted. Hall 5954 was one of the first engines to carry the proposed Lion on Wheel emblem about that time.
In mid summer 1948 thirteen ex GWR engines were chosen to be painted in experimental liveries. The Railway Executive, at this stage, was keen to create completely new liveries and not perpetuate any of the company styles. The locomotives chosen were Kings 6001, 09, 25 and 26, and Castles 4089, 91, 5010, 21, 23, 7010, 11, 12 and 13, the last four being brand new.
The Kings were painted in a dark ultramarine blue, tending to purple, with LNWR style red, cream and grey lining, while the Castles were painted in a light yellowy green with similar lining. The detail of areas of colour and lining styles appears below. The locomotives were allocated to haul three specific trains of experimentally liveried coaches, chocolate and cream or plum and white. Each of these locomotives carried a brass smoke box number plate.
The experimental liveries did not find favour so further trials were carried out until the final one on 10th January 1949 (at which Castle 5067 in GWR lined green appeared).
The final decision was as follows –
Principal express passenger locomotives (Kings) – Blue with black and white lining.
Other express passenger (Castles, Stars) – Dark green with orange and black lining.
Mixed traffic and secondary passenger - Black with red (vermilion), cream and grey lining
Freight and shunting – Plain black
The Western Region duly painted all its Kings blue and all Castles and serviceable Stars in green. The lined black livery was only applied to Countys, Halls, serviceable Saints, BR built Manors and 5101s. A few other engines were treated to this style but the majority of eligible classes, including Granges, GWR Manors, GWR Large Prairies, Small Prairies, Bulldogs, Dukedogs, 4700, 4300, 1400, 5800 mostly stayed plain black.
Examples of lined black engines are – 1411, 1465, 1470, 4406, 4409, 4116, 4166, 4171, 4702, 5156, 5190, 5816, 7313, 9009, 9014.
Some examples which should not have received the style were 1503, 1504, 1505, 2213, 2529, 5409, 8763, 8764 & 8771. Of these the 8700s and 1500s were Paddington/Old Oak pilots and shunters.
(These lists are by no means complete, further examples would be welcome)
EXPERIMENTAL LIVERY STYLES
Style EA - Kings Nos. 6001, 6009, 6025 & 6026 only.
Main colours
1 Ultramarine Blue. Said to be more purple than the blue of the Great Eastern or Somerset and Dorset. I feel that the Precision Paints BR Experimental Blue is a little too purple but I have no evidence.
2 Black. The WR used different types of black paint on different parts of the engine and tender, for example, oil paint, oil paint mixed with varnish, smoke stack black and bituminous black. For a model any black, except matt, will do.
Secondary colours
3 China or Chinese Red for buffer plates and cases.
4 Venetian Red for various surfaces inside the main frames between smoke box and firebox. Venetian Red is Red Oxide by another name.
Lining colours
5 Vermilion. (For a model I use Humbrol No. 19 Gloss Red)
6 Grey. (Humbrol No. 5 Gloss Dark Battleship Grey)
7 Cream (Humbrol No. 7 Gloss Buff
Style EB – Castles Nos. 4089, 4091, 5010, 5021, 5023, 7010 - 7013
Main colours
1 Yellowy Green or Light Apple Green. This colour is elusive as few photographs exist (yes I know about photos and colour) and as far as I know there is no record of the actual colour. The most telling photograph is one of two SR West Countrys standing together, one in malachite green and the other in experimental green (Colourrail). The latter appears to be more yellow than LNER green.
2-7 All as Style EA above.
LINING STYLES
As this lining was used on different background colours I use the abbreviation BGC for the background colour.
Style 1 - On larger panels, inset from the edge – cab sides and tender sides. Also the lower edge of platform angles.
⅝” Grey / ⅛” Cream / 1½” BGC/ ¼”Vermilion. Corner radius 4” to outside of outer Grey line except lower front corner of cab lining.
Style 2 - Splasher faces.
⅝” Grey / ⅛” Cream / 1½” BGC /¼”Vermilion. On splashers the grey line was adjacent to the arc of beading and lower straight edge. The grey/cream line formed an acute angle at the bottom corners of the splasher but the red line had a 1” radius curve at this point.
Style 3 - Cylinder and boiler bands.
¼” vermilion/2” approx BGC / ¼” vermilion. The boiler bands were lined vermilion on the edges and the remainder was the back ground colour. The cylinder lining was centred on the bolts fixing the casing.
Style 4 – Name plate supports.
1” BGC / ¼” Vermilion
Style 5 – Number plates
= / ¼” Vermilion / =
LIVERY STYLES EA & EB, Colour in detail
Black –
Running plate, drag beam, lamp brackets, outside face of frames and all springs & axle boxes etc attached, step plates, cross head, C-bracket. Above the running plate the Black areas were smoke box and saddle, chimney, cab roof, reverser rod, tops of splashers, pipe work attached to top of running plate, inside, top and front of tender. Ends and back of buffer plates. Fire box back within cab. Sunken areas of name and number plates.
Ultramarine Blue (EA) or Yellowy Green (EB) –
Boiler, firebox, splasher faces, sides and top of fire iron tunnel, weather board, nameplate support plate, platform angles and cylinders, sides and rear of tender. On tenders the Blue/Green extended to include all of the angle at the base of the sides and rear. Operating rods above the running plate for sanders, inside walls and roof of cab, including the cladding to the sides of the fire box. AWS equipment within cab including the bell. Rear vacuum stand pipe above the buffer plate.
Venetian Red –
Inside face and all stretchers and castings forming the main frames between smoke box and fire box, axles, all castings forming part of the motion eg balance weights, cranks and eccentrics. Eccentric rods. Regulator lever within cab except the handle.
China Red (also known as Chinese Red) –
Buffer plates and cases, all of the front vacuum stand pipe and the part of rear stand pipe where it crosses the buffer plate.
Unpainted areas –
Whistles, brass window frames, brass splasher beading, cab corner beading, raised parts of brass number and name plates, wooden parts within cab – floor, control handles, seats. Brass control handles – regulator, reverser. Non-ferrous metal parts attached to the firebox front. The hand rails adjacent to the cab entrance on both engine and tender were unpainted except for about an inch at each end. Forged parts of the motion and valve gear, except eccentric rods. Copper chimney top, and brass safety valve bonnet.
Hand rail colour not known.
Livery Styles EA & EB, lining in detail
Lining on Blue/Green areas
Cab sides –
Lining Style 1 formed a closed panel below the cab windows, set in 3” from the edges and the cab window frame. Top corners and bottom rear corners were 4” radius to the outside of the Grey line. The radius at lower front followed the radius of the edge.
Collett tender sides –
Lining Style 1. The position of the lining was dictated by the position of the rivets in that the upper and lower Grey/Cream line passed just above the top rivets and just below the bottom rivets so that the lining was about 5 – 6” from the edge. The front vertical lining was positioned so the tangent point of the vermilion lining was just in front of the closely spaced rivets for the tender bulkhead. The rear vertical lining ran clear of rivets to give a spacing of about 5” from the end. All outer corners were 4” radius.
Hawksworth tender sides –
Lining Style 1. There were no rivets so the lining was set in 6” from all edges, the top line following the shape of the tender top edge.
Splasher faces –
Lining Style 2 along the base and along the top arc with the Grey line adjacent to the beading. The Grey/Cream line formed an acute angle at the bottom corners but the Vermilion line had a 1” radius at this point. Where a splasher was obscured by the weatherboard, or the reversing gear cover on the right hand side, the lining was deemed to continue behind, and was not ‘closed off’.
Platform angle –
Lining Style 1. The Grey line ran along the bottom edge from behind the buffer plate to the drag beam and similarly on the tender.
Cylinders –
Lining Style 3. The outer vermilion lines were about 2” in from the edge, the lining being centred on the line of fixing bolts.
Boiler bands –
Lining Style 3. The vermilion lines were on the edge of the bands with the body colour between. There was no lining on the fire box. On the Kings the feed pipe cover was lined similarly, the lining being closed off at the bottom edge but not the top as it ran under the top feed casing.
Name plate support –
Lining Style 4. The vermilion line was set in an inch from the edge and ran parallel to it.
Number plates –
Lining Style 5. The vermilion line ran roughly midway between the rim and number.
Company markings –
Each of the locomotives in experimental livery carried the words ‘BRITISH RAILWAYS’ in full on the tender sides in Cream 6” Gill Sans lettering. No. 6009 later carried the Lion on Wheel emblem. Evidence is required for others.
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PERIOD 1
The Lion on Wheel emblem
Following trials of suitable emblems on Eastern Region B1s and Southern Schools Class the Lion on Wheel was chosen as the emblem (not a crest) to adorn locomotives. The emblem was approved on 25th November 1948 and introduced in early 1949, when again engines appeared without lettering pending supplies of the new transfers.
Its origin is obscure. Brian Haresnape in ‘British Railways Liveries’ attributes it to Abram Games, who designed the Festival of Britain logo. However, I have been told by the Abram Games Archive that it is not so. The same emblem, but with a road wheel, adorned the cabs of British Roadways vehicles.
It possibly first appeared on the WR on King No. 6009 in August 1948, when in experimental livery and Hall No. 5954, in lined black, around the same time. It was positioned on tenders above the central axle box and centrally within the height of the panel or lining thereon. On pannier tanks it was generally positioned centrally on the tank.
Three sizes were made but the WR only used the two larger sizes and generally favoured the largest size on tenders and the larger tank engines.
The lion always faced the front of the locomotive. On the WR it was not used on other stock.
Red number and name plates
From late 1949 to early 1952 number plates on black engines were being routinely painted red, and the name plates where applicable. There are some colour photographs showing it and the occasional monochrome panchromatic film picks it out. With orthochromatic film, with which most photos were taken at the time, it is more difficult to spot. Even some green GWR liveried engines returned from Crewe with red plates. The reasons for it have not been detailed but it was possibly due to Riddles wanting the new liveries to be close to that of the LNWR. Personally I think it looked quite smart, adding a dash of colour to an otherwise black engine.
The reasons for its demise are also unclear. I would suggest that the red faded making the number difficult to be seen by staff (not train spotters). There weren’t the resources to maintain the plates, so black was the better option – and it suited the GWR diehards.
The Standard Liveries
Following a number of trials the official liveries were announced in early 1949, and published by the Railway Pictorial and Locomotive Review in July. Unusually, for a time of austerity, there were to be four styles, three of which had quite complex lining. The vast majority of engines were to be plain black but passenger locomotives of Class 7 were to be ‘Light Blue’ with black and white lining, other principal passenger locos of Class 5, 5X & 6 ‘Deep Bronze Green’ (BS 381C 224) with GWR style lining, and mixed traffic & secondary passenger locos Black with LNWR style lining.
The locomotive used to illustrate the lining was a LMS rebuilt Patriot 4-6-0. The diagram included lining on the platform angle but, although the experimental liveries included this and a few WR lined black locomotives carried it in 1948, it was never used on the WR subsequently. The diagram showed splasher lining as being along the top arc only, but the WR lined green or blue splashers exactly as the GWR had done previously. Lined black splashers on the WR also had the Grey/Cream line continue along the bottom edge. An innovation for the WR was to paint the platform angle in the body colour, something the GWR had never done.
The diagram indicated that buffer plates and casings were to be painted in Signal Red but the WR continued to use China Red,at least until stocks ran out. There is anecdotal evidence that China Red continued in use at Worcester until the end but it is likely that Swindon, and other works with a greater throughput, would change to Signal Red sooner. ( A specification issued from the Swindon drawing office on 1st January 1959 simply referred to ‘red’ as the colour for buffer plates and inside of frames).
The specification did not include ‘non public’ parts so, inside cab, tender front and between frames were not mentioned, so each region continued with its traditional style.
In the event the Blue style did not last long as it was found that the blue paint faded quickly, preventing the ability to touch up paint work. In late 1951 (or early 1952 – needs checking) the style ceased and all subsequent repaints of Class 7 locos were in the Green style.
Compared to the GWR 1946 livery there was further simplification of the lining; it was omitted from the fire box and weatherboard, and the back of the tender.
LIVERY STYLES
Style A Green locomotives - Castles and Stars (after 1951 to Kings)
Generally Green above the running plate and Black below except for the platform angle. Lining applied in up to four styles to Green areas – Boiler, cab sides, splashers, name plate support plates and tender sides. Also applied in two styles to black areas – cylinder covers and number plates.
Style A(B) Blue locomotives – Kings until 1952
As above but main colour Light Blue
Style B – Lined Black - Halls, Saints, Countys, BR built Manors and 5101s, and a few others.
Black above and below the running plate with lining in four styles to boiler, cab sides, tank and bunker sides, splashers*, cylinders, tender sides and number plates.
*Rare on tank engines
Style C - remainder
All Black. No lining
Main colours
1 Green. Deep Bronze Green BS 381C 224.
2 Black. The WR used different types of black paint on different parts of the engine and tender, for example, oil paint, oil paint mixed with varnish, smoke stack black and bituminous black. For a model any black, except matt, will do.
Secondary colours
3 Signal Red for buffer plates and cases (but see note above).
4 Venetian Red for various surfaces inside the main frames between smoke box and firebox. Venetian Red is Red Oxide by another name.
5 Pale yellow for picking out numbers on cast iron number plates
Lining colours
6 Orange. For a model I use Humbrol No. 9 Gloss Tan with added red.
7 White. For a model use a light grey.
8 Red. (Humbrol No. 19 Gloss Red)
9 Cream. (Humbrol No. 7 Gloss Buff)
10 Grey. (Humbrol No. 5 Gloss Dark Battleship Grey
2 Black. Any gloss black will do
LIVERY STYLE A
Colour in detail
Green -
Boiler and pipework attached, firebox, splasher faces, sides and top of fire iron tunnel, weather board, nameplate support plate, platform angles, sides and rear of tender including beading. On tenders the Green extended to include all of the angle at the base of the sides and rear. Tender top tool boxes were Green. Operating rods for the sanders above the running plate, inside walls and roof of cab, including the cladding to the sides of the fire box. AWS equipment within cab including the bell. Outer edge of number plate casting. Rear vacuum stand pipe above the buffer plate. Hand rails on green areas except adjacent to cab entrance.
Black –
Running plate, cylinders, drag beam, lamp brackets, outside face of frames and all springs & axle boxes etc attached, step plates, cross head, C-bracket, buffer plungers. Above the running plate the Black areas were smoke box and saddle, chimney, cab roof, reverser rod, tops of splashers, hand rails except adjacent to cab entrance, pipe work attached to top of running plate. Inside, top and front of tender. Beading along the top of tender sides. Ends and back of buffer plates. Fire box back within cab. Name and inner part of number plates.
Venetian Red –
Inside face and all stretchers and castings forming the main frames between smoke box and fire box, axles, all castings forming part of the motion eg balance weights, cranks and eccentrics. Eccentric rods. Regulator lever within cab except the handle. (Note - I have seen various models where the painter has used red for various handles and controls within the cab, this is completely incorrect)
China Red (also known as Chinese Red) –
Buffer plates and cases, all of the front vacuum stand pipe and the part of rear stand pipe where it crosses the buffer plate. Stafford Road continued to paint the buffer casing rim Black.
Unpainted areas –
Whistles, brass window frames, brass splasher beading, brass edge beading to cab, raised parts of brass number and name plates, wooden parts within cab – floor, control handles, seats. Brass control handles – regulator, reverser. Non-ferrous metal parts attached to the firebox front. The hand rails adjacent to the cab entrance on both engine and tender were unpainted except for about an inch at each end. Forged parts of the motion and valve gear, except eccentric rods. Copper chimney top, and brass safety valve bonnet.
Lining Styles
Style 1 - On larger panels, inset from the edge - cab and tender sides.
⅛” Orange / ½” Green / 1” Black / ½” Green / ⅛” Orange. The edge distance varied from the ‘official’ 5” In fact the lining followed the dimensions of the GWR, exactly so in the case of the Stars but with the modified cab panel on the Castles and Kings.
Style 2 - Edge lining. Around all edges of the splasher face except where Style 2S applies.
½” Black / ½” Green / ⅛” Orange
Style 2S - Edge lining on Star class splashers without brass beading but with an arc of rivets.
1½” Black / ½” Green / ⅛” Orange
Style 3 – Boiler bands. The width of the Green lines was increased slightly.
⅛” Orange / ⅝” Green / 1” Black / ⅝” Green / ⅛” Orange
Style 4 - Cylinder lining.
⅛” Orange / 2” Black / ⅛” Orange
Style 5 - Number plates
= / ⅛” Orange / =
Livery Style A, lining in detail
Lining on Green areas
Cab sides –
Lining Style 1 set in 3” from the edges. Top front and bottom rear corners were 3” radius to the outside of the Orange line. The radius at lower front corner was the radius of the edge less 3". On Castles and Kings the lining formed a panel below the cab side window. On Stars the lining was exactly GWR in style.
Collett tender sides –
Lining Style 1. Exactly as the GWR had done before. The position of the lining was dictated by the position of the rivets in that the upper and lower Black line passed through the top and bottom rivets so that the lining was about 5 – 6” from the edge. The front vertical lining was immediately in front of the closely spaced rivets for the tender bulkhead. The Black line of the rear vertical lining ran through rivets to give a spacing of about 5” from the end. All corners were 3” radius
Hawksworth tender sides –
Lining Style 1. Exactly as the GWR had done before. There were no rivets so the lining was set in 6” from all edges, the top line following the shape of the tender top edge.
Splasher faces –
Castles, Kings and Stars with brass beading. Lining Style 2 along the base and along the top arc with the Black line adjacent to the beading. Both lines formed an acute angle at the bottom corners. Where a splasher was obscured by the weatherboard, or the reversing gear cover on the right hand side, the lining was deemed to continue behind, and was not ‘closed off’.
Stars without beading and without an arc of rivets. The Black line of Lining Style 2 ran along the top edge of the splasher.
Stars without beading but with an arc of rivets. Lining Style 2S along the top so that the broad Black line covered the rivets. Lining Style 2S also along the base.
Name plate support –
Lining Style 2 on all edges
Boiler bands –
Lining Style 3. Where the band was interrupted by clips the Orange line was closed off and the Black line stopped ½” short with a square end.
Feed pipe cover plates (NOT Castles or Stars) –
The boiler feed pipes were positioned over a joint in the boiler cladding and were lined as a boiler band in Style 2 and closed off at the bottom with a straight Orange line.
Lining on Black areas
Cylinders –
Lining Style 4 vertically, centred on the rows of fixing bolts.
Number plates –
Lining style 5 with the orange line mid way between rim and numbers.
LIVERY STYLE A(B) Blue locomotives – Kings
Colour distribution exactly as Style A except for Green read Blue.
Lining style and detail as for Style A except for Orange read White.
Main colours
1 Light Blue. Said to be darker than the final Caledonian Blue and not similar to any other previous locomotive blue. I have no evidence except for Precision Paints P102.
2 Black
Lining colours
3 White. For a model use light grey.
2 Black
LIVERY STYLE B
Black –
All parts of the engine except for buffer plates and casings, inside main frames between smoke box and fire box etc.
Venetian Red –
Inside face and all stretchers and castings forming the main frames between smoke box and fire box, axles, all castings forming part of the motion eg balance weights, cranks and eccentrics. Eccentric rods. Regulator lever within cab except the handle.
China Red (also known as Chinese Red) –
Buffer plates and cases, all of the front vacuum stand pipe and the part of rear stand pipe where it crosses the buffer plate.
Unpainted areas –
Whistles, brass window frames, brass splasher beading, brass edge beading to cab, raised parts of brass number and name plates, wooden parts within cab – floor, control handles, seats. Brass control handles – regulator, reverser. Non-ferrous metal parts attached to the firebox front. The hand rails adjacent to the cab entrance on both engine and tender were unpainted except for about an inch at each end. Forged parts of the motion and valve gear, except eccentric rods. Copper chimney top, and brass safety valve bonnet.
Lining Styles
Style 1 - On larger panels, inset from the edge – cab sides, tank and bunker sides, and tender sides.
⅝” Grey / ⅛” Cream / 1½” Black / ¼”Vermilion. Corner radius 4” to outside of outer Grey line except lower front corner of cab lining.
Style 2 - Splasher faces.
⅝” Grey / ⅛” Cream / 1½” Black / ¼”Vermilion. On splashers the grey line was adjacent to the arc of beading and lower straight edge. The grey/cream line formed an acute angle at the bottom corners of the splasher but the red line had a 1” radius curve at this point.
Style 2S – Splasher faces on Saints without splasher beading but with an arc of rivets.
1½” Grey / ⅛” Cream / 1 ½” Black / ¼” Vermilion
Style 3 - Cylinder and boiler bands.
¼” vermilion/ 2” approx Black / ¼” vermilion. The boiler bands were lined vermilion on the edges and the remainder was the black. The cylinder lining was centred on the bolts fixing the casing.
Style 4 – Name plate support plate.
1” Black / ¼” Vermilion. All edges of the plate were lined.
Style 5 – Number plates
= / ¼” Vermilion / =. This needs confirmation, it is more likely that the lining was 1/8". Difficult to see on orthochromatic photos and the presence of a ridge on the number plates, where the casting patterns of the numbers were not quite level with the background, which can produce a reflection that looks like lining.
Livery Style B lining in detail
Cab sides –
Lining Style 1 set in 3” from the edges. Top front and bottom rear corners were 4” radius to the outside of the Grey line. The radius at lower front and adjacent to the cut out was the radius of the edge less 3". On tender locomotives with side window cab the lining formed a panel below the cab side window. On Saints and similar cabs the lining was GWR in style.
Collett tender sides –
Lining Style 1. Generally as the GWR had done before. The position of the lining was dictated by the position of the rivets in that rivets were in the 1½” black space. The tangent point of the vermilion line of the front vertical lining was immediately in front of the closely spaced rivets for the tender bulkhead. All corners were 4” radius.
Hawksworth tender sides –
Lining Style 1. Generally as the GWR had done before. There were no rivets so the lining was set in 6” from all edges, the top line following the shape of the tender top edge.
Churchward tender sides –
Lining style 1. On a riveted tender the position of the lining was dictated by the rivets but generally in the same location as GWR lining. The lower Grey line was about 3” above the angle running along the base, and the top line was just below the dense line of rivets fixing the tank top to the sides. The coal plate was not lined.
Splasher faces –
Castles, Kings and Stars with brass beading. Lining Style 2 along the base and along the top arc with the Grey line adjacent to the beading. The Grey/Cream lines formed an acute angle at the bottom corners but there was 1” radius on the red line. Where a splasher was obscured by the weatherboard, or the reversing gear cover on the right hand side, the lining was deemed to continue behind, and was not ‘closed off’.
Saints without beading and without an arc of rivets. The Grey line of Lining Style 2 ran along the top edge of the splasher.
Saints without beading but with an arc of rivets. Lining Style 2S along the top so that the broad Grey line covered the rivets. Lining Style 2S also along the base.
Name plate support –
Lining Style 4 on all edges
Boiler bands –
Lining Style 3. Where the band was interrupted by clips the Red line was closed off.
Feed pipe cover plates were not lined.
Cylinders –
Lining Style 3 vertically, centred on the rows of fixing bolts.
Number plates –
Lining style 4 with the Red line mid way between rim and numbers.
Other lined black engines.
4300 Class
No. 7313.
5101 Class
Nos. 4166-79. The lining on these BR built engines varied so a photograph is essential if painting a model. The lining on the tank and bunker sides generally followed the edge but the distance from the edge varied between engines. On Nos. 4166, 4171 & 5156 it appeared to be about 3” from the edge but on 5190 about 1”. On 5192 the lining at the bottom edge was close to the running plate and also the lining ran below the cab shutter instead of behind it. No. 5156 had its platform angle lined.
1400 Class
No. 1411 & 1465, the bunker lining was a simple rectangle to the same height as the tank lining. On No. 1470 the bunker lining was full height following the shape of the bunker.
9000 Class
Nos. 9009 and 9014 were lined, the cab lining being full height and very close to the front edge. Splashers were not lined. 9014 was later paired with an unlined tender and 9000 received a lined tender. In 1959 9018, in plain black, was still running with red number plates.
2251 Class
No.2213 was painted in lined black, with red number plates in October 1950. As a side window cab engine the cab lining ran below but very close to the window frame. It had full splasher lining and painted safety valve bonnet and chimney.
2301 Class
No. 2529 was painted in lined black, with no BR identity on the tender. The cab side lining continued up to the roof. The splashers were lined in full. The hanging bars were unlined. (Photo dated 05.09.49).
5700 Class
Nos. 8763, 8764 & 8771 were some of the few of the class to receive lining as they worked empty coaching stock at Paddington. The cab and bunker lining was full height, the upper pannier lining lay at the limit of the flat side while the lower line was sometimes on the flat but sometimes strayed just on to the curved portion. The splashers were not lined.
5400 Class
No. 5409 had lined splashers.
1500 Class
Nos. 1503, 1504 & 1505 were lined out for empty stock working at Paddington but not until the mid 1950s. They had full height cab and bunker lining. No splashers.
4400 Class
No. 4406 and 4409
4500 Class
No. 5527, possibly others.
4700 Class
No. 4702 only was lined out, by 1950, with full height cab lining and lined splashers. In 1952, 4708 was noted with red number plates and a lined green tender with GW style BR.
My thanks to Roger Carpenter, for his continual supply of photos, John Edwards and Russ Elliot. Research continues. Other evidence welcome.