Livery on NBR wagons

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi all,

 

I have a restoration project for some NBR wagons.

 

Now, I know that the wagons in question were grey in NBR times - but what sort of grey?

 

Is there an actual paint spec or was it just whatever grey the builder/repaired had in stock?

 

Thanks

Phil H

[MarcD]

I think that the livery was a medum grey. I have used an etch primer from Halfords for all my NBR wagons with transfers from HMRS.

Not all NBR wagons were grey some like, fish wagons, were a crimson lake colour with yellow lettering. Also the iron works was picked out in black when the wagons were new but not after any further repaints.

Hope this helps

Marc

[jim.snowdon]

From the railway's perspective, the shade of grey would not have been that important. The colour of any wagon was relatively unimportant; the primary task of paint was to provide weather protection for the materials from which the wagon was built (although that hardly applied to the inside of open wagons, which were normally left unpainted). Grey would be mixed from black and white lead paint and could largely be described as light, middle or dark. "Lead grey" is a common term seen on the plates displayed in the works photographs from the likes of Gloucester C&W and Roberts.

 

Jim

[billbedford]

...and lead white oxidises in industrial atmospheres, it's the sulphur, and eventually becomes dark grey. So anything painted with lead white will larked between repaints.

 

if you intend mixing your own colours, be aware that modern white paints are usually titanium white, which will give a blue cast when mixed with blacks. To counteract this a touch of red or orange needs to be added to a grey mix to make it slightly warmer.

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the input - much appreciated.

 

I am aware that some NBR wagons were not grey - just all the ones I am restoring were.

 

There are a mixture of plastic, white metal and etched models to be worked on, some just need paint, some need a bit of tlc and replacing of damaged/missing bits.

 

I have Halfords grey etch primer, grey plastic primer in the workshop already.

 

Interesting what you say about modern paints Bill - I'll bear that in mind if I end up mixing paints.

 

Thanks

Phil H.

[Steamport Southport]

No idea of the specification but Phoenix do NBR grey.

 

https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/precisionrailway/pregroup/nbrly/14p679

 

 

 

Jason

[Compound2632]

To within the constraints of lighting, digital photography and your computer screen, this is Phoenix Precision NBR freight wagon grey:

 

 

It's been my go-to shade of grey for LNWR wagons! - though probably a bit on the dark side for ex-works condition.

[Penlan]

..... Though after a little while in traffic....
 

[Compound2632]

Well, yes, we're back to the question of whether the ironwork started out a different colour (black) from the woodwork (grey), or is the apparent difference just due to different weathering processes of the two materials? Or is it that the iron components were black painted (japanned?) before the wagon was assembled, then the whole wagon painted all-over grey - and now all the grey paint has weathered away?

 

And quite what is going on with the van in the second photo?

 

There's another topic going on about wagon markings:

 

 

I'm going to comment on the lettering there.

 

@Penlan, I was trying to make out the inscription on the LNWR D1 in the background but then realised that it's actually a D39 glass wagon; the inscription says FOR GLASS TRAFFIC.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Compound2632

[MarcD]

It was my understanding that the iron components were painted before they were assembled on to the wagon as they could be stored in places that weren't dry and this stopped rusting. 

The Cresent is the last paint/overhaul date. It appeared long before the use of large NB on the sides.

Marc

[Compound2632]

46 minutes ago, Furness Wagon said:

The Cresent is the last paint/overhaul date. It appeared long before the use of large NB on the sides.

 

 

This has been discussed on the parallel thread:

 

The question is, when did the large initials come in? (But that question is best answered on the other thread!)

 

 

[David Charwelton]

Steamport wrote: 

 

>No idea of the specification but Phoenix do NBR grey.

 

I was the one who started the discussion on NBR symbols so thought I had  better comment on this thread. When I had finished construction of the Parkside NBR van I painted it in the Precision NBR grey. However, when I put the wagon next to a GWR van painted in Precision's GWR freight grey you would be hard put to tell the difference.  I guess any grey between light grey and dark grey would be prototypical!