When did Railfreight red/grey first appear?

[chris101]

Hi,

 

I'm modelling the late 70's - 1981 period, so far all locos are BR blue, most rolling stock bauxite. However, I was wondering when the Railfreight red stripe on grey first started to appear on goods and brake wagons? Some sources say 1979, others are claiming that this 'new' Railfreight branding didnt happen until 1982 - too late for my layout. Can anyone confirm? I cant remember!

 

(And if this is in the wrong sub forum please move)

 

Many thanks,

 

Chris

[Simon_R]

It came in with the 58's so that would be early 80's maybe 83?

[Pennine MC]

 

I'm modelling the late 70's - 1981 period, so far all locos are BR blue, most rolling stock bauxite. However, I was wondering when the Railfreight red stripe on grey first started to appear on goods and brake wagons? Some sources say 1979, others are claiming that this 'new' Railfreight branding didnt happen until 1982 - too late for my layout. Can anyone confirm?

 

 

99% sure it was 1979 - the last OBAs and HEAs (to name but two) carried the new liveries from new. No brakevans however were done until the mid-80s, when a further batch of dual-pipe conversions were done to supplement the mid-60s batch

 

For that timescale, you also need to be considering freight maroon, which was applied to a lot of AB stock in the period from 1975

[chris101]

Many thanks for the info, and luckily Bachmann do a VDA in this livery. Pity the brakevans were not painted in reg/grey until much later as Bachmann also do one of those to match.

 

Cheers.

[hmrspaul]

Chris

 

It was on show at the freight exhibition on 1 March 1979 http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/p3179744.html

 

Paul

York

[great central]

Adding my own observation to other replies. I was surprised to see class 76 hauled, Railfreight liveried HEA's on a video of the Woodhead route, makes it pre July 1981.

[BernardTPM]

I photographed various experimental versions of the new livery at Temple Mills Wagon Works back in April 1979, including one in grey and yellow, quite a few years before it became the Civil Engineers livery. Note that HEA on Paul's site has non-standard application with the red going right down the ends (as done with vans and opens). A lot of stock was repainted quite quickly in the '79-81 period and some of the later wagons (like SPAs) appeared in red from new so the colours were quite well established on wagons before application to the Class 58s.

[Pete the Elaner]

& 58001 emerged from Doncaster works in late '82, but I don't think it got as far as the main line unti early '83.

[ess1uk]

So would it be more likely that a wagon would be red and grey in mid 1980s than not?

[Rivercider]

So would it be more likely that a wagon would be red and grey in mid 1980s than not?

 

I assume you are thinking of BR air-braked freight stock?

 

Here are 3 random pictures from the mid 80s that show a variety of Speedlink vehicles

 

47228 and 58027 passing Westhouses with an airbraked service,

all 6 Cov-ABs are red/grey, as is 1 of 2 HEAs, the Open-ABs are brown,

3 out of 6 BDAs look red/grey, all the SPA or OCAs look red/grey, 19/6/86

 

 

31119 shunting at Stapleford and Sandiacre

12 out of 20 HEAs are red/grey, 19/6/86

 

 

47112 passing Severn Tunnel Junction with MDVs of scrap for Cardiff Tidal,

Undy Yard by this time handled most of the Speedlink traffic at STJ,

out of about 35 Cov ABs there are still 8 or 9 not yet red/grey, 25/9/86

 

cheers

[ess1uk]

Cheers Rivercider, that's spot on.

Really wish I'd taken more pictures when I was younger.

[birdseyecircus]

I think after the class 58s the next loco class was the 31s in 1985.

 

Paul

[Ramblin Rich]

I assume you are thinking of BR air-braked freight stock?

 

 

47228 and 58027 passing Westhouses with an airbraked service,

all 6 Cov-ABs are red/grey, as is 1 of 2 HEAs, the Open-ABs are brown,

3 out of 6 BDAs look red/grey, all the SPA or OCAs look red/grey, 19/6/86

 

cheers

 

If I remember rightly, all the SPAs were delivered in red livery from the start, started delivery in 1979 (with a bit of a hiatus when wheelsets were unavailable - I've seen pictures of new SPAs "stacked" inside each other waiting to have wheels fitted!).

[dvdlcs]

I think after the class 58s the next loco class was the 31s in 1985.

 

Paul

 

Hello.

 

Could have been the final 56 (56135) before then, although I remember that the first 31/1 to be refurbished (156?) was outshopped in BR Blue for some reason. A couple of 37/0's received the Railfreight livery (196 was one) pretty early on plus by 1985 the 37 refurbishment program had started, and all the freight variants (/5, /7, /9) were initially outshopped in Railfreight livery from works.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

David.

[slilley]

Chaps

 

From what I have been able to discover BR's Business Engineering Group approved the extension of the livery to a number of classes including the Class 47s in July 1984. The new livery was to be applied to all of the 47/3s and only to freight locomotives of 47/0 sub-class. In this case only locomotives without train heating equipment were to be so treated. Locomotives whose boilers were only isolated would not receive Railfreight livery. The first of the class to receive the livery was No 47050 in the summer of 1985. A change was made with the addition of a red stripe around the base of the loco. The go-ahead for the change was given by Railfreight management in late September 1985. No 47363 was one of the first to be given the revised look.

 

I hope this helps a little.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[hmrspaul]

If I remember rightly, all the SPAs were delivered in red livery from the start, started delivery in 1979 (with a bit of a hiatus when wheelsets were unavailable - I've seen pictures of new SPAs "stacked" inside each other waiting to have wheels fitted!).

 

As http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brspa/e3def194a Yes, all but the prototype SPA were delivered in red. Note also the insides were painted with this livery - very unusual.

 

Paul Bartlett

[Ramblin Rich]

As http://PaulBartlett....brspa/e3def194a Yes, all but the prototype SPA were delivered in red. Note also the insides were painted with this livery - very unusual.

 

Paul Bartlett

 

Thanks Paul - that's just the picture I remember, it was in an issue of the old "Model Railways" magazine if my memory's right...

[Shed]

very interesting reading

[Waverley47708]

ChapsFrom what I have been able to discover BR's Business Engineering Group approved the extension of the livery to a number of classes including the Class 47s in July 1984. The new livery was to be applied to all of the 47/3s and only to freight locomotives of 47/0 sub-class. In this case only locomotives without train heating equipment were to be so treated. Locomotives whose boilers were only isolated would not receive Railfreight livery. The first of the class to receive the livery was No 47050 in the summer of 1985. A change was made with the addition of a red stripe around the base of the loco. The go-ahead for the change was given by Railfreight management in late September 1985. No 47363 was one of the first to be given the revised look.I hope this helps a little.RegardsSimon

Was just wondering about something related to Railfreight livery recently, as above the earlier locos (37s snd 47s anyway) which carried it did not have the red band low down, however on later versions this appeared. According to Slilley a couple of years earlier than I had read elsewhere which may be good news as I have a red stripe version 37 which I always had suspicions about that it may be a year too late for my 85/86 layout. My question is does anyone know why the red band was introduced.

 

From the front the original Railfreght version was similar to large logo, especially once the roof was grimey, was it to distinguish a Railfreight loco from other liveries when viewed from the front?

 

Another thought perhaps the red stripe version of Railfreight appeared on the original Railfreight livery 37s and 47s to match the red stripe which had been on the 58s and 20s in Railfreight which had had the red along the bottom of the body from the beginning.

Edited October 21, 2017 by Waverley47708

[40019]

Was just wondering about something related to Railfreight livery recently, as above the earlier locos (37s snd 47s anyway) which carried it did not have the red band low down, however on later versions this appeared. According to Slilley a couple of years earlier than I had read elsewhere which may be good news as I have a red stripe version 37 which I always had suspicions about that it may be a year too late for my 85/86 layout. My question is does anyone know why the red band was introduced.

 

From the front the original Railfreght version was similar to large logo, especially once the roof was grimey, was it to distinguish a Railfreight loco from other liveries when viewed from the front?

 

Another thought perhaps the red stripe version of Railfreight appeared on the original Railfreight livery 37s and 47s to match the red stripe which had been on the 58s and 20s in Railfreight which had had the red along the bottom of the body from the beginning.

 

July 87 open day at Crewe had 56049 & 37002 / 37670 newly painted in Red Stripe Railfreight. 56068 was also freshly painted but with the red stripe on 1 side only - so guess it started about then. My first RF 56 was 064 in April 1985.

[Waverley47708]

July 87 open day at Crewe had 56049 & 37002 / 37670 newly painted in Red Stripe Railfreight. 56068 was also freshly painted but with the red stripe on 1 side only - so guess it started about then. My first RF 56 was 064 in April 1985.

Thanks for the information, still wondering if anyone knows why the red stripe version was introduced?

[Tim Hall]

Hello.

 

Could have been the final 56 (56135) before then, although I remember that the first 31/1 to be refurbished (156?) was outshopped in BR Blue for some reason. A couple of 37/0's received the Railfreight livery (196 was one) pretty early on plus by 1985 the 37 refurbishment program had started, and all the freight variants (/5, /7, /9) were initially outshopped in Railfreight livery from works.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

David.

 

Fairly sure 56135 emerged in large logo blue....

[rodent279]

I think all the 56's appeared in either plain blue or large logo. I don't think red stripe appeared until 1985/6.

Edited January 6, 2018 by rodent279

[coachmann]

 I suggested to BR in early 1984 that 56135 carry LNWR lined black and be named 'Crewe'. It didn't and it wasn't. It emerged in large loco grey livery and ran-in on the north Wales line from Crewe and back on 12th September 1984. 56133 got the Crewe name.

[Davexoc]

Thanks for the information, still wondering if anyone knows why the red stripe version was introduced?

The red stripe was originally for the solebar, which meant 58s and 20s only as most locos didn't have an uncovered solebar as such. All over grey was then perceived as too drab and hence we got red-stripe and also dutch for CE locos applied to other classes. It all then went out of the window when Roundel devised the sectorisation liveries in the mid 80s.

 

Dave