Signal Box Colours (Wales)

[petejones]

Was there a standard colour scheme for signal boxes in Wales? From colour pics I've seen on the web, they seem to vary from white planking (with brick below) to yellowish-beige planking through to GWR light/dark stone for a fully timbered box.

 

Cheers

Pete

[WillCav]

Hi Pete,

 

Where abouts in Wales and what timeframe?

Different companies pre grouping and grouping. Different regions post nationalisation but now all Wales part of the same Route.

Sorry to ask more questions rather than answer yours, but I think it needs narrowing down to give you what you want.

 

Thanks

Will

[petejones]

Good point, Will, thanks. I'm looking at the 1930s and West Wales in particular.

[Tim V]

Colour pictures from the 1930s, that's rare! Can you post a link to these?

[petejones]

This is Haverfordwest sometime in the 80s I think.

[corneliuslundie]

Depending on how far west you mean, they were either at that time GWR or LMS (ie the Central Wales line and appendages). The GWR ones if repainted would have been in the standard GWR colours (OK, I know there were some exceptions through long standing agreement with local landowners etc), while the LMS ones if repainted would have been in that company's livery. But I suspect that there were numerous ex LNWR boxes still in the old colours for some years after 1922, which may explain some of the colours you have suggested. But almost all the lines in West Wales (at least west of Llanelli) were already being run by the GWR before 1922. There were several local companies in the Llanelli /Burry Port area, but all pretty small and with few signal boxes.

Jonathan

[Wheatley]

LMS boxes were not repainted until the 1930s (they were on a different schedule to station buildings) so you could get away with faded LNWR colours until quite late into your period. Basic LMS colours after that were brown and cream, with some substitution of green or maroon for the brown. For GWR light stone nos 1 and 3 seem a fairly safe bet. 

See stationcolours.com for details. 

 

[Tim V]

That box at Haverfordwest was renewed in the late 30s, so would have been painted in light and dark stone - as standard.

 

Colour pictures from the 80s are not a guide to paint schemes from earlier periods.

[petejones]

Thanks all, that's useful to know.