platform edging white lines

[Junctionmad]

Looking through my prototype pictures from the mid fifties , ( Badminton ) I see no evidence of the white lines supposedly painted during the wartime.  Was it a universal practice or maybe as it was a small country station , there was no need ( as rural people can  handle darkness )

 

 

???

 

 

thanks 

[bécasse]

It was never a universal practice and it didn't just date from the Second World War, the earliest examples that I have found datable photos of date back to the Edwardian era - the then new GWR rail motor halts for example.

 

Look for photos of your chosen station, or of stations of similar size in the vicinity, taken in the 1950s or 1960s, you can usually find something on the internet. Where white platform edges were introduced as a wartime ARP measure (or indeed earlier) they usually persisted much longer than the other wartime white paint markings.

[Junctionmad]

Thanks , photos of the various stations on the badmington line , in the 50s and 60s show no evidence of white edging lines

[The Stationmaster]

Thanks , photos of the various stations on the badmington line , in the 50s and 60s show no evidence of white edging lines

 

A 1960s picture of Hullavington definitely shows white lines as does one of Chipping Sodbury (although the latter are very narrow).

 

The WR issued Instruction.L.K.I./9678.Gen which was included in the General Appendix from July 1949 and read as follows -

 

The edge of platforms must be whitened for a width of approximately 5 inches.  The white lines must be renewed not less than once a month in Summer and weekly in Winter.

 

An addendum under the same reference was added to the General Appendix in September 1954 and read as follows -

 

The edges of the ramp must not be whitened.

 

From October 1960 platforms which were only used in daylight were exempted from the general Instruction

 

The normal procedure was to use whitewash and it did not wear at all well often degrading to a very poor state in a couple of weeks depending on the weather. In addition depending on the strength of the mix it might not show up very well on some photographic emulsions especially where there was reduced contrast.  In the mid 1970s we were trying various other materials on a local basis where I worked in order to try to get a longer lasting finish and in the end we finished up using road paint which wore quite well and lasted for several months with no problems although the first version we tried turned a sort of yellowish off-white within a few weeks. 

[kevinlms]

A 1960s picture of Hullavington definitely shows white lines as does one of Chipping Sodbury (although the latter are very narrow).

 

The WR issued Instruction.L.K.I./9678.Gen which was included in the General Appendix from July 1949 and read as follows -

 

The edge of platforms must be whitened for a width of approximately 5 inches.  The white lines must be renewed not less than once a month in Summer and weekly in Winter.

 

An addendum under the same reference was added to the General Appendix in September 1954 and read as follows -

 

The edges of the ramp must not be whitened.

 

From October 1960 platforms which were only used in daylight were exempted from the general Instruction

 

The normal procedure was to use whitewash and it did not wear at all well often degrading to a very poor state in a couple of weeks depending on the weather. In addition depending on the strength of the mix it might not show up very well on some photographic emulsions especially where there was reduced contrast.  In the mid 1970s we were trying various other materials on a local basis where I worked in order to try to get a longer lasting finish and in the end we finished up using road paint which wore quite well and lasted for several months with no problems although the first version we tried turned a sort of yellowish off-white within a few weeks. 

This is why modellers get it wrong & think platform edges were always bright white, including the ramps!

 

https://tri-angman.co.uk/shop/?wpsc-product=tri-ang-Hornby-r460-x-2-and-r464-x-2-straight-platforms-and-ramps-excellent-condition-duplicate

 

Must admit, I'm surprised they used whitewash for so long, considering its short life!

[The Stationmaster]

This is why modellers get it wrong & think platform edges were always bright white, including the ramps!

 

https://tri-angman.co.uk/shop/?wpsc-product=tri-ang-Hornby-r460-x-2-and-r464-x-2-straight-platforms-and-ramps-excellent-condition-duplicate

 

Must admit, I'm surprised they used whitewash for so long, considering its short life!

 

Very simple reason for using whitewash - it was cheap and could be mixed by just about anyone, just the sort of task for the Lad Porter.

[pH]

Very simple reason for using whitewash - it was cheap and could be mixed by just about anyone, just the sort of task for the Lad Porter.

Guilty!

[Junctionmad]

hmm , so it looks like I should be painting on white lines!!! , damm 

[Dunsignalling]

Looking through my prototype pictures from the mid fifties , ( Badminton ) I see no evidence of the white lines supposedly painted during the wartime.  Was it a universal practice or maybe as it was a small country station , there was no need ( as rural people can  handle darkness )

 

 

???

 

 

thanks 

More to the point, on many rural lines, the service ceased before nightfall anyway.....

[MOH]

hmm , so it looks like I should be painting on white lines!!! , damm 

Good luck with that, I spent ages searching for a suitable pen/marker to produce white lines on quite a substantial amount of home made platforms, after trying various types of tape I finally sourced a white marker pen in a local arts shop, probably should have started my search there originally. My layout is 00 and after 18 months of being used the lines look quite good, I presume they are never really meant to be a pristine white anyway?

[uax6]

Or use a bow compass. Change the point bit of the compass to a bit of wire, and use that against the edge of the platform and the bow puts white(ish) paint down for you.....

 

Andy G