Mk1 BR Blue coaches

[Meir]

Hi guys

 

Were non-suburban Mk1 BR Blue coaches a thing? I've got lots of the surburban ones, but cannot find any other type apart from in EMU/DMU form.

I was looking at repainting some blue & grey Mk1's but if they were never a thing then I won't bother (and from what I can tell that may be the case - just want to gather some opinions/confirmation)

 

Cheers!

[The Johnster]

BGs count as mk1s and some were finished in the plain blue livery.  Not sure what you would call the 4TC sets, which were not emus, used on the Waterloo/Bournemouth/Weymouth service but they were certainly mk1 derived and I thought lookde very smart in plain blue livery, with the aluminium double arrows.  That was it though AFAIK; all other gangwayed coaches were blue/grey.

[John M Upton]

The first NNX type Courier Van converted from a BSK was outshopped in plain blue (beaware it had detail differences to the rest) and a few Departmental examples got plain blue but no main Mk1 passenger service as far as I am aware.

[John Tomlinson]

4 hours ago, John M Upton said:

The first NNX type Courier Van converted from a BSK was outshopped in plain blue (beaware it had detail differences to the rest) and a few Departmental examples got plain blue but no main Mk1 passenger service as far as I am aware.

I'd second this, plus the BG's as mentioned above. Otherwise from maroon to blue/ grey.

 

The Southern region sets, both unpowered 4TC, and the EMU's such as 4CEP, 4VEP and 4CIG did I think all have solid blue on their sides before going blue/grey. These vehicles were based on the Mk1 coach, in some cases to a standard coach design.

 

John.

[cheesysmith]

only suburban and parcels coaches (and newspapers) were painted in plain blue. The rest were blue & grey. (although someone will come up with a example in plain blue when it was supposed to be blue/grey).

[Steamport Southport]

The 4TCs were trailer cars for EMUs so they were classed as EMUs. They even got a TOPS code of Class 442/491/438 depending on era.

 

BR Blue Mark Ones? I think some in departmental stock use got plain blue. If so they will possibly be on Paul Bartlett's website.

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/paulbartlettsrailwaywagons

 

 

 

Jason

 

[Bomag]

According to the Parkin book the SR repainted one of their internal Mk1 corridor sets blue as they considered it to be a suburban set, but was 'quickly' repainted to B/G. Whether it was ever in service is uncertain; I have never seen a photo.

[The Johnster]

I thought plain blue was a very good livery, though like all liveries it looked awful when it was dirty.  The 'corporate image' was intended to signify modernisation, and the new signage and number/lettering helped with this, as well as being very clear and easy to read, and to my mind the plain blue reflected that modernist minimalist look very well indeed; also, the yellow first class and catering red stripes showed up better on it.  Some people complained it was dull, but you can hardly describe a livery with a grey component as any better.  

 

There is also the perception that it co-incided with the end of steam, the introduction of MAS schemes and flat bottomed CWR, and the disappearance of a lot of things I rather liked on the railway, but it is not fair to blame a livery for that. I even think the VoR locos looked good in it and were done no favours when somebody thought they needed to be lined out, though a simple yellow edged lining might have worked.  The best livery for a Davies & Metcalfe VoR loco IMHO is definitely fully lined out dartboard and ferret BR green; the lining is less intrusive but still serves to break down the slab chunkiness of the tanks.

 

I particularly approved of it in conjunction with stock with polished window frames, such as AM10s, Metro-Cammel dmus, and some of the later Southern emu outer suburban stock.  Polished aluminium or stainless steel was the perfect foil for the livery.

Edited June 13, 2020 by The Johnster

[Meir]

Thanks for all of the replies, guys.

 

I'll skip repainting my Mk1's. I do like the BR blue livery the most, although I do have room in my heart for many of the others (blue & grey, southern green, maroon to name a few).

 

I grew up seeing mostly the blue & grey livery with the odd BR blue.  What you guys have said does gel with my memories as the only BR blue coach I ever travelled on (I was about 13) was an old non corridor/suburban one which I thought so odd being sectioned off as it was! My family and I were travelling from Bromley North headed back south during the mid to late '80s.

 

[Steamport Southport]

In the 1980s it would have been a multiple unit. Some of those were still blue into the 1980s.

 

All the BR Suburban stock had gone by the mid 1970s. The last ones were working out of Kings Cross until 1977.

 

 

Jason

[frobisher]

Would the RB in the 8VAB unit have been in BR Blue given the time period? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_423#8_VAB_unit? 

 

[EDIT]Bum - no it wasn't

 

Edited June 14, 2020 by frobisher

[Steven B]

Not a Mk1, but the Vale of Rheidol's coaches were finished in BR Blue.

 

Steven B

[3rd Rail Exile]

16 hours ago, Meir said:

I grew up seeing mostly the blue & grey livery with the odd BR blue.  What you guys have said does gel with my memories as the only BR blue coach I ever travelled on (I was about 13) was an old non corridor/suburban one which I thought so odd being sectioned off as it was! My family and I were travelling from Bromley North headed back south during the mid to late '80s.

 

At Bromley North (which is at the end of a short branch line running north to Grove Park) it would almost certainly be one of the EPB type of EMU, either a 4-car Class 415 or (more likely) a 2-car Class 416.  These were repainted from BR Blue to Blue/Grey in the early to mid '80s.  

[Meir]

You're probably right. My memory of the time is a tad hazy after all these years and I probably wouldn't remember it at all if it wasn't for the coach being the way it was. So yes, probably a 416. 

I do have a couple of Bachmann 416 EPBs in BR blue (and a couple in blue & grey) - love 'em :). I just wish I could get hold of a BR blue 415, but no one seems to have made one. As a consolation I've got my eye on a 205 thumper, although only a 2 unit set so if I do buy it I might see if I can "upgrade" it to 3 units (wonder if I can use one of my Mk1 suburban coaches for that?).

Edited June 14, 2020 by Meir

[Geep7]

12 hours ago, Meir said:

You're probably right. My memory of the time is a tad hazy after all these years and I probably wouldn't remember it at all if it wasn't for the coach being the way it was. So yes, probably a 416. 

I do have a couple of Bachmann 416 EPBs in BR blue (and a couple in blue & grey) - love 'em :). I just wish I could get hold of a BR blue 415, but no one seems to have made one. As a consolation I've got my eye on a 205 thumper, although only a 2 unit set so if I do buy it I might see if I can "upgrade" it to 3 units (wonder if I can use one of my Mk1 suburban coaches for that?).

There are a few others on RMWeb and elsewhere, who have used a combination of a 4-Cep trailer chassis and a Replica Mk1 Suburban body to make the centre coach for a 3H/Class 205. Using the Cep trailer allows for the bi-directional lighting to still work, if you're still wanting that to work. I've also seen people use the Replica Suburban coach for the centre coaches of the 415/4-Epb. Getting hold of the Cep chassis could be an issue though, although they do pop up on a certain online bidding site every so often....