Which Livery to Choose? BMR Diesel Loco

[LNWR18901910]

I've had my eye on this diesel shunter from Budget Model Railways' website and I think it's a nice model.

https://www.budgetmodelrailways.co.uk/store/p21/OO_GAUGE_BMR_DIESEL_SHUNTER_BODY.html#/

So, basically, Budget Model Railways is a company that is aimed towards those making a model railway on a budget or keen modellers like myself. I have just bought that kit from their site and the required chassis off E-Bay as Hornby's website was out of stock due to...well, you know what's going on with the world right now.

 

Anyway, I put up a poll so as to help me choose the livery. Which one should I go for? By the time the kit arrives, I shall pick the one with the most votes.

https://strawpoll.com/3x7f6355

Edited May 26, 2020 by AY Mod
Nothing to do with BRM

[The Johnster]

It is a fairly convincing industrial shunting loco with a centre cab, presumably inspired by the Janus but smaller and looking a bit older.  As such, nothing like it was ever owned AFAIK by BR or their post-privatisation successors, but there were some departmental Fowlers that were not completely unlike it.  This being the case, none of the liveries you mention seem to be obviously appropriate; of course, it's your loco and you can paint it any way you want under the direction of the Supreme Authority, Rule 1.  

 

 My impression is that it is the sort of thing built for fairly heavy work in steelworks or power stations, gasworks and such, possibly large motor factories and dock systems.  I am influenced by the BR departmental Fowlers, which were black, but I can see it in an all over plain mid green with wasp stripes on buffer beams or the complete ends in later life.  It is the sort of thing built during the mid 50s to early 60s period, and might have a working life of about 20 or 30 years.  Of course, if you can think of an suitable company with the initials BMR...  

 

Red coupling rods if you are using a coupled chassis.  Later livery might be all over yellow with wasp stripes to reflect the onset of health and safety rules for site plant equipment, and maybe even a revolving yellow flashing light on the cab roof.

[Nearholmer]

Its a strange old design, because it includes "design cues" from as early as the 1920s, and as late as perhaps the 1980/90s, so maybe we should assume that it is still in service today, and that it has been endlessly rebuilt over time.

 

In which case, some sort of horribly garish livery based on the owners "house colours" or, as Johnster says, bright yellow for visibility.

[LNWR18901910]

14 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Its a strange old design, because it includes "design cues" from as early as the 1920s, and as late as perhaps the 1980/90s, so maybe we should assume that it is still in service today, and that it has been endlessly rebuilt over time.

 

In which case, some sort of horribly garish livery based on the owners "house colours" or, as Johnster says, bright yellow for visibility.

The yellow ends didn't come until  the mid-to-late-1960s. So, it would most likely be BR Rail Blue. However, there are yellow-ended diesel locomotives in BR Green.

[Sotto]

OP, of your options I would go with BR Green/yellow ends, but if it were mine I'd probably invent a really horrible private owner livery.

I'd seen these on the BMR site and wondered about them- perhaps you could put a picture up when yours is finished!

[Nearholmer]

LNWR

 

wasp stripes were introduced c1960 (there is an entire thread about it here somewhere), but took a while to apply to all locos. There were black locos and lots of green locos with wasp stripes, so you don’t have to wait for blue.

 

My all over yellow suggestion is based on it being an industrial loco, rather than BR, which is what it shouts.

 

K

[Philou]

My pal and I 'updated' our H/D 08 shunters to reflect the wasp stripes - that would have been around '64 - '65.

 

Cheers

 

Philip

 

(Harrumphhh ............ I just remembered 'his' were better than mine .)

 

[Steamport Southport]

If you asked me what colour I would paint one if I had one myself then I would suggest maroon as a private owner rather than EWS.

 

A livery like this would suit it.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/324088/golden_valley_hobbies_gv2020_yec_janus_0_6_0de_shunter_richard_borrett_in_ici_maroon/stockdetail.aspx

 

If had to paint one only in the options provided in the survey then Harry Needle. Apart from the basic BR liveries such as black, green and blue it doesn't really look like something that Virgin, Intercity or EWS would have.

 

I'm thinking of something a bit like the HN Class 07.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/171138/heljan_2930_class_07_shunter_07001_in_harry_needle_railroad_company_livery_exclusive_to_hat/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

 

Jason

[Barclay]

Yes I'd go for a gaudy industrial livery too - it's more believable as an industrial loco than pseudo-BR.

Something like this:

[F-UnitMad]

I'd be more tempted by the other diesel shunter body in the range -

https://www.budgetmodelrailways.co.uk/store/p20/OO_GAUGE_INDUSTRIAL_DIESEL_SHUNTER_BODY.html#/

A single end cab is a bit more 'British' to my eyes. Regardless of cab location, key to a convincing small British diesel shunter I think, is keeping the conecting rods on the wheels. Too many model 'UK Industrial Diesels' betray their 'American Plymouth switcher' origins by having outside frames & suspension covering the wheels. Using the Hornby chassis would be good in this respect.

 

Nothing wrong with EWS Maroon for a livery - this is my O Scale Barclay in EWS Maroon.

[doctor quinn]

The centre cab has the look of a 1950s Fowler industrial so I agree that a suitably somber industrial livery would suit - maybe green but not BR green with wasp striped buffer beams?

[The Johnster]

Much depends on your period.  Diesel shunting locos became available to

industrial users as a general proposition in the mid 30s, and many were produced for the military during a particular of expansive German foreign policy, which became war surplus.  So, for the late 40s up to the early 60s, khaki or army green.  Or, many companies supplied brand new locos in a stock livery unless the customer stipulated otherwise, which few did; the locos were site plant, so who needed to know whose they were?  Stock livery was invariably a variety of mid green and red, as you’d expect from British (dammit, Carruthers) engineering.  Red or black buffer beams and red motion if there is any, and perhaps white painted handrails.  By the 60s the stripes were appearing, and certainly by the 80s, yellow as the default plant colour and logos as companies became generally more image conscious.  Yellow flashing lights came in around then as well, though some were earlier. 
 

Cab interiors pre 70s/80s same as outside, or green lower/cream upper, or all over cream.  Later, universal all over grey.  Floor plain wood or lino.  Most of these locos have big cab windows so interiors are important, especially in 7mm
 

Prior to the 80s, a loco purchased second hand or hired from a factor would quite likely still be in it’s original livery, but since then to the present new owners and factors like Harry Needle repaint as soon as they come into possession by and large.  There are no hards and fasts in the industrial world, but, like the ‘real’ railway, it is more colourful now than at any time over the last 100 years.   And everything changes livery every 5 minutes!

[tomparryharry]

Having looked at the industrial diesel, it certainly appears to have touch of Fowlers about it. It's not for me as such, but it does have an unique appeal, and I daresay that it

can be worked  to look very convincing.

[LNWR18901910]

Well, it's been a while since I last checked this thread and juding by the poll results, it looks like BR Green with Yellow Warning Panels is the candidate! Thank you all for your suggestions and voting!

 

I know it's a shunting locomotive, but I'm using it to make a shortened toy-like mainline diesel. The step panels will be covered and altered to look like a motor bogie. I know it may look squat, but it's supposed to be a simplistic freelance toy-like styled version of a BR mainline diesel like the BR Class 17, the BR Class 20 and the German Crocodile locomotive.

 

I've ordered another kit as my first time didn't go so well...and a new chassis, too. This time, I hope to get it right as I never kit-built anything like it before. But...ah, well, at least I did my best. Then again, I could do someone else's best. Anyway, please do go and check out BMR's range of model kits online, they do great stuff!

[DCB]

You could go to a rod drive 1-B-1 configuration if there is insufficient room for 2 power bogies and a central motor. 

There is only one colour for an old school diesel shunter. Black hidden under a coat of grime. ( Poundland Matt Black spray or £5 from Halfords)

I am working on a fictitious main line diesel based on a centre cab design ascribed to Frank Enstein, basically a Diesel Fairlie  and cobbled up from 2 X Triang 350 hp diesel shunter bodies, A non powered bogie at each end and either a large wheeled 0-6-0 or an 0-4-0 power chassis.  Known as Frank Enstein's monster it  could end up as a 3-B -3  or a 2-C-2 depending on the contents of my scrap drawer..   

 

[LNWR18901910]

18 hours ago, DavidCBroad said:

You could go to a rod drive 1-B-1 configuration if there is insufficient room for 2 power bogies and a central motor. 

There is only one colour for an old school diesel shunter. Black hidden under a coat of grime. ( Poundland Matt Black spray or £5 from Halfords)

I am working on a fictitious main line diesel based on a centre cab design ascribed to Frank Enstein, basically a Diesel Fairlie  and cobbled up from 2 X Triang 350 hp diesel shunter bodies, A non powered bogie at each end and either a large wheeled 0-6-0 or an 0-4-0 power chassis.  Known as Frank Enstein's monster it  could end up as a 3-B -3  or a 2-C-2 depending on the contents of my scrap drawer..   

 

How am I able to find a working motor bogie or two for it? Also, building the right chassis for it is a challenge, too.

[LNWR18901910]

On 28/05/2020 at 14:46, Barclay said:

Yes I'd go for a gaudy industrial livery too - it's more believable as an industrial loco than pseudo-BR.

Something like this:

Say, how did you manage to find a Tri-ang Dock Shunter, restore it, get it running again and turn it into this livery? It's nice.

[LNWR18901910]

Just a quick update:

 

I got the chassis and model running at last! I still have more to go on it before I paint it as as covering the sides with plasticard.

Edited July 4, 2020 by LNWR18901910

[Barclay]

10 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Say, how did you manage to find a Tri-ang Dock Shunter, restore it, get it running again and turn it into this livery? It's nice.

Thank you - there's a lot of them quite cheap on ebay. A drop of oil and a good clean got it running, they're quite smooth really. Then Ultrascale wheels for EM gauge. These are a straight swap and it runs a treat. The classic headlight was missing but you can even get LED replacements for those these days, also ebay, so mine is now fully lit up !