Rail Blue / sector era Postal liveries

[jprp]

Can anyone help me out with introduction dates (year) for the various post liveries on both loco`s and stock?

[slilley]

This from Class 47 50 Years of Locomotive History may help. Jane Priestman was the BR Director of Architecture and Design at the time.

 

The dedication of locomotives to Parcels Sector services was implemented from October 1989. In line with the livery policy, Jane Priestman believed that this randomly numbered group of locomotives would require the formation of a new sub-class in order to be compliant. At this point there was no mention of a dedicated livery for Parcels-allocated locomotives. However, this soon changed and the Sector opted for a colour scheme of red and grey. Some publications described the colour at the time as ‘Post Office Red’, although the shade used on the Class 47s was thought by some to be a little darker. No  47474 was chosen to be the first to receive it; the upper bodysides and roof were dark grey, with the lower body and cab sides in red. The cab window surrounds and doors were black. No 47474 was first seen in Parcels red at Doncaster Works on 26 April 1990, already carrying its Sir Rowland Hill nameplates prior to the ceremony at the Severn Valley Railway’s Kidderminster station on 1 May. On each side, cast metal BR double-arrows were fixed below the secondman’s window, with the locomotive’s number underneath the driver’s window.
   It was not long before the Parcels Sector was subjected to an image makeover. Design work started in early 1990, the first issue of the livery drawings dating from 30 March of that year. No 47594 was the first to be treated in June 1991; unusually the repainting was carried out at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley. The livery was altered slightly with ‘Express Blue’ rectangular logos placed on the bodyside; the grey upper band no longer went from cab to cab but was stopped 2,950mm from the start of the cab on the driver’s side. The numerals were reduced in size from 150mm to 125mm. The revised scheme was also extended to mail and parcels-carrying rolling stock. The painting diagram for the livery is interesting in that it shows a Class 47 with blanked off headcode panel and added headlamp on the cab front, but with the roof detail still showing the original fixed three-position grilles associated with locomotives fitted with vacuum brake only,  or with Mkl air brake equipment. In October 1991 a new brand name was introduced, Rail express systems (Res).

 

Best wishes

 

Simon

[Davexoc]

The Royal Mail red livery was applied to various DMU types from 1988, so I guess it was around that time that some TPOs, BGs and GUVs were similarly treated. This was the Post Box Red scheme with yellow stripe and Royal Mail Letters branding.

 

Dave