GWR coach liveries — WW2 and after

[D9020 Nimbus]

In their N gauge range, Dapol offer a B-set and an auto-trailer in "brown" livery. Was wondering if this was a wartime livery, How widespread it was and how long coaches in such a livery lasted?
 

There's a photo in GWRJ 9, in an article on the Yealmpton branch, showing a train hauled by 5412 with coaches in what appears to be a one-colour livery (p. 374) and another on the following page showing what appears to be the standard chocolate and cream, dated 1946, with the same loco in charge; apparently 5412 wad only based in the area from 1942 to soon after nationalisation.

[gwrrob]

Absolutely, a very attractive livery too in my opinion. Some stock with the shirtbutton would have had the austerity shade of brown in wartime. Then the coach was repainted into the Hawksworth livery in the late 40s but I can also imagine stock still being in this livery in early BR. I have several coaches in this austerity brown.

[Miss Prism]

19 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

In their N gauge range, Dapol offer a B-set and an auto-trailer in "brown" livery. Was wondering if this was a wartime livery, How widespread it was and how long coaches in such a livery lasted?

 

The Dapol is in 1942 wartime lined brown livery, was not widespread, and lasted a normal duration, probably into the first BR repaints. The lined livery was probably confined to express stock.

 

What is the stock in the GWRJ picture? It could be in nondescript all-over unlined dark brown.

 

See also https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/26195-gwr-brown-livery/

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Miss Prism

[D9020 Nimbus]

The GWRJ picture isn't really that clear, but there's no obvious lining and it's some kind of non-corridor stock—possibly a B-set—although auto-trailers were usually used and the other picture (chocolate and cream livery) are definitely auto-trailers.

[jointline]

There was an auto-coach, used as an office, or something similar I would think,  in Paddington Goods shed, which must have retained this livery until much later, as I remember seeing it sometime in the late 50's or even early 60's.   I remember it as pretty matt brown, but I guess it had never been repainted, and was very worn.  From memory it was about the same as the brown used on buildings. 

Can't ever remember seeing any  on any service on the WR mainline out of Paddington in this livery, even in the early fifties though.

[The Johnster]

John Lewis's auto trailer books have a very good description of the livery and the various anomalies within it, and several black and white photos of trailers painted in it.  Withdrawn trailers, sometime grounded, were popular as offices and mess rooms because of their open saloon plan and steps, but were usually painted for this use, in a variety of reds, greens, and browns.  One at Llanelli was black.  These were renumbered in the DW series.