Western Region Dynamometer Car

[Lysander]

Well, this issue of roofs is an interesting one. I confess that I had never really considered it much further than the reach for the rattle can.

I have pulled a couple of books down from the shelves - particularly Jack Slinn’s ‘Great Western Way’ (indispensable) - and looked at his notes on carriage liveries throughout the decades. For roofs, white, it seems, dated from around 1880 at the earliest, and that’s specifically as a paint rather than simply the tint of the waterproofing agent (which by then may still have been white lead). Prior to that, the received wisdom suggests a light to mid-grey rather than white (so overpainting the proofing agent again), not least because of the very regular need for some urchins to clamber up onto the roofs to refill / clean the oil lamps.

From the early War years (that’s WW2), white for roofs soon became a casualty and was replaced by a ‘nondescript’ grey, but not black! But that must be academic as blackness would soon reign supreme for roofs were not washed. These ‘grey’ roofs continued until ‘48.

Finally, coach liveries themselves varied hugely during the War, ranging from chocolate and cream to all over brown, some grey and some even black. Grey and black coaches have been recorded as sometimes unmarked in any way. Incidentally, it wasn’t until 1908 that coach ends began to be painted black as a matter of course.

So, there you have it!

Now, where’s that rattle can if matt black?

Tony

[Ironduke]

We had a house built about 5 years ago and all the external doors were beige. We were told if we ever paint them a dark colour it would void the warranty. On the other hand, with telephone cables white is used indoors because it's more discreet but black is used outside because it lasts longer in the sun.

[Mountain]

Thanks both. Fascinating replies. Sorry Lysander for the thread drift.

[Bigmet]

...Finally, coach liveries themselves varied hugely during the War, ranging from chocolate and cream to all over brown...

Or even before the war. The grouping period GWR coach livery was chocolate and cream, chocolate and weak tea, chocolate and cafe latte, chocolate and milk chocolate, all over brown. There's ample colour photographic evidence from the 1930s that the realistic livery for a GWR passenger train is 'no two coaches alike' because the cream degraded very fast in service: that was the reality of steam traction. (The demarcation between the chocolate and cream varied very noticeably where visible too, stepping up and down along the trains.)

The excellent 'Big Four in Colour 1935 - 50' contains ample evidence of this reality, in 1930s express formations including those hauled by King and Castle locomotives - some of this traction not all gleaming either - and as for the Halls, filthy! Grubby Western Railway...

[Lysander]

I understand what you are saying but the point that I was making was that during the War, a number of GW coaches were painted Black, Grey or Brown as an alternative to the more expensive and labour intensive chocolate and cream livery. It wasn't that they had weathered into Black, Grey or Brown.

But, certainly, pre-War cream ranged from dirty white to buttery yellow and all points in between. Possibly the only general exceptions were the Centenary stock, Special Saloons and other stock reserved for Boat Trains and prestigious named expresses. They tended to be kept washed and spotless: prestige would have suffered otherwise.

I agree your point about waistlines, too. Photos show them at differing heights and it jars aesthetically. Inevitable though, I guess, given that coaches of five or six different designs could make up the train - and that didn't even include absorbed coaches still in use.

Here is the link to the build blog for the Dynamometer Car for those who wish to see it:

https://srmg.org.uk/hawksworth-dynamometer-coach

Tony