Wagons painted 'bauxite'

[Holmside]

I should know this but am ashamed to say that I don't, so can someone please elucidate ? I had always assumed that wagons were painted 'bauxite' to indicate that they were vacuum-braked stock and to distingush them from loose-coupled vehicles which were painted grey. Is this the case ? In my spotting days (early 1950's until the end of steam on the western region) virtually all the freights that I saw (or, more accurately, recall seeing) were comprised of loose-coupled wagons. My reason for asking is that I recently noticed model wagons being advertised for sale bearing the livery description along the lines of : 'bauxite early'. Does this simply indicate that there was a change in the shade of bauxite with which wagons were painted ? If so, when did the change occur ? And were non-fitted vehicles ever painted bauxite ? And, if so, from what date did this occur ? In addition I also assume (Ah, that dangerous 'A' word again ! ) that bauxite-painted (ie fitted) wagons were not able to be included in goods trains along with loose-coupled vehicles unless located immediately behind the locomotive? Or am I (Again ! I hear you cry) talking rubbish ?

[Dunsignalling]

Fitted vehicles could be mixed in with unfitted ones, but any thus separated from the loco would obviously not have operational braking, effectively becoming unfitted themselves.

 

If schedules or gradients didn't demand a high brake force, convenience of shunting at the next remarshalling point could take precedence over maximising the size of the fitted section of the train, but only once the proportion required for its class had been fulfilled.

 

Even when numerous fitted vans were marshalled behind the loco, there is no guarantee that the pipes would be connected up on more of them than the classification required. The crew would know what they had to play with and work the train accordingly.

 

"Bauxite" is a can of worms, and varied from works to works as much as over time. One variety (applied by Darlington, I think), was as close to orange as brown. Colour photographs often reveal pretty drastic degrees of variation within trains of ostensibly similar wagons.

 

On r-t-r labelling, early and late refer primarily to the style of markings. From c1964, numbers etc. were enclosed within white rectangles. 

 

John

Edited July 12, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[Marshall5]

Bauxite was applied to vac braked and through piped wagons e.g. B.R.standard and Stanier brake vans. IIRC the official change of shade (more 'purpely') was in 1965 - probably at the same time as the change in lettering to which John refers.

Ray.

[Yardman]

In BR days Vacuum fitted (or Piped) vehicles were general painted Bauxite and unfitted wagons Grey, but in 1964 this went out the window and it was decreed all vehicles would be painted Bauxite. However this was quickly revoked due to the confusion this caused in yards when making up fitted or partially fitted trains. So unfitted vehicles reverted to being painted grey. A lighter grey than previously used, but by this time many unfitted wagons had been turned out in Bauxite. At the same time lettering on the side of wagons included the white square. The purpose of this square was to be empty for an unfitted vehicle or include a number to show the highest class of train the vehicle could be included in, or XP if the vehicle could travel at maximum freight train speeds. I remember seeing many unfitted vehicles painted Bauxite when they went through the shops and they stayed that way till scrapped. I saw very few vehicles with a number in the square; it was mainly empty or carried XP. Fitted vehicles could still have an empty square if they weren’t rated to travel at XP speeds. However I don't recall seeing any fitted vehicles painted grey, but I can’t say it didn’t happen. This all changed again with the advent of TOPS and air braked vehicles.

[asmay2002]

The LMS painted all of its wagons bauxite in its later years and so in the early days of BR (say up to about 1955) there would have been quite a lot of unfitted ex LMS wagons which had just got a renumbering rather than a full repaint and were still in LMS bauxite with a BR number.

[Caledonian]

 

"Bauxite" is a can of worms, and varied from works to works as much as over time. One variety (applied by Darlington, I think), was as close to orange as brown. Colour photographs often reveal pretty drastic degrees of variation within trains of ostensibly similar wagons.

 

John

 

Many [many] years ago my father painted our boatyard with some bauxite paint which he had "organised". I distinctly recall it going on as a rich reddish brown and within a year it was pink

[Holmside]

I would like to express my thanks to those who took the time and trouble to reply to my original post, answered my questions so comprehensively and were kind enough not to point out that, inexplicably, I typed ( three times ! ) 'loose coupled' where I meant 'non-fitted'. From these responses, it is embarrassingly clear to me that in my youth I should have spent more time studying railway operation and practice rather than merely gawping at the locomotives.

 

Incidentally, is anyone able to suggest books to consult on the above alluded-to matters of goods-train composition and operation in the days of steam ? In this context I should mention that my modelling interest is coal traffic in the valleys of South Wales in the early-mid 1950's

 

Thanks in anticipation of any further responses.

[57xx]

The LMS painted all of its wagons bauxite in its later years and so in the early days of BR (say up to about 1955) there would have been quite a lot of unfitted ex LMS wagons which had just got a renumbering rather than a full repaint and were still in LMS bauxite with a BR number.

 

Just to expand on this. The LMS switched to painting their wagons in bauxite in 1936. Also the LNER were painting their vac fitted wagons and brake vans in "brown red oxide" and non-fitted wagons in grey from their formation in 1924, "bauxite" was then used from 1940 onwards. (P Tatlow - A Pictorial Record of LNER Wagons)