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Converting Centenary Coaches - livery


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Hi all,

 

When I was young and didn't know any better, I bought a rake of Dapol Centenary coaches (2 x D120(R) Brake 3rds and 4 x E149 composites) and happily ran it round and round as the Cornish Riviera.  Now I am older (and hopefully wiser) I realise that this won't do.  I am modelling early 1948 and by this time, the Centenary coaches would have been cascaded down into lesser services - so I plan to spread the coaches around.

 

I am thinking of converting one of the E149s into a C69 all 3rd with etched sides (this looks quite easy as the doors can be retained) but I am worried about painting Chocolate/Cream.  I have read on the excellent gwr.org site that during the 2nd World War, some 'more prestigious' stock was painted in a paler red-brown - would that apply to Centenary stock?  I'm not expecting there to be photos to prove it as there was a war on.

 

Many thanks

 

Will

 

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I have done the conversions to get a full Riveria set circa 1947 (working from a photo)

 

I used the comet etches on airfix bodies for all the coaches for consistency (the windows need changing on the composite for post war condition).    One trick I found was to add a length of evergreen strip to the gutter, which ensures it’s raised from the coach side.  There should be a series of posts on my blog with more details 

 

paint was the standard post war double lines chocolate and cream in every photo I’ve seen.  I think I recall seeing that they were stored through the war and reconditioned afterwards (so would have all missed the austerity brown)

 


 

 

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Thanks for your responses Mike and Fatadder,

Mike - are Maurice Early's photos available online?

I've had a look at Fatadder's Centenary coach conversions and they look really good. It's a shame that wartime brown is not an option. I think I'll try chocolate/cream on a spare body before I start attacking a Centenary.

 

Thanks

Will

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  • 1 month later...

A cheap option to modify the Windows is to use thin slivers of painted sellotape applied directly to the Windows. Looks the part from one foot, and my ‘transfers’ have remained in situ for nigh on twenty years.

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On 01/10/2020 at 19:56, 88D said:

A cheap option to modify the Windows is to use thin slivers of painted sellotape applied directly to the Windows. Looks the part from one foot, and my ‘transfers’ have remained in situ for nigh on twenty years.

Thanks for the hint.

Will

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