Cordon livery

[The Johnster]

I’ve ordered a 3D  printed GW ‘Cordon’ from Wild Boar, Diagram DD4 I believe; it’s the type with 9 crossways mounted gas tanks held in a frame.  The instructions are available on line and are pretty basic, but suggest a livery of black for the frames and buffer beams with dark grey for the deck, tanks, and frame.  I assume this is a GW livery, and as my layout is set 1948-58 I could legitimately use this or a BR livery. 
 

Photos show vacuum bags but I cannot make out ‘XP’ branding.  The GW livery seems to consist of merely the initials and wagon number on the solebars, thus; G     35     W, with the number in the centre of the solebar.  BR livery would presumably have the tanks and frame in bauxite and the wagon number thus; W35W offset towards the right hand end, but the wagons in google images are too dirty to be sure about the bauxite or the XP or other lettering. 
 

I would be most grateful if anyone can confirm any of this and any other info about liveries, lettering/branding; in fact any info relating to Cordons would useful.  
 

Thank you all in advance. RM has never let me down yet!

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by The Johnster

[Il Grifone]

The ones I remember appeared to be black (late 50s), covered with a layer of muck.

 

Sorry I can't be more definite, as I was about 10 at the time. I did try to make a model from rolled up brown paper tape on a Peco underframe. The less said the better....

 

EDIT

A much better (not difficult!) effort than mine

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81957-cordon-dd4/

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Il Grifone

[hmrspaul]

This photo appears to show that they were painted other than black - which is what I would have expected as they were departmental wagons. However, not much sign of writing - which may well have been on the solebar. However this was only 12 years after nationalisation so its possible they were never repainted and were in a GWR grey which is likely to have faded with time. Noticeable is that the headstock and bufferstocks are also light. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrdeptcoach/e1176cade  Their use was virtually finished by that date, despite WR using gas a little later than other regions - discussed in Backtrack earlier this year. 

 

Paul

[The Johnster]

Knew youse guys wouldn't let me down!

 

Thank you both for your replies; I have a better impression of what is needed now.  My 'scenario' is that Cwmdimbath and other locations on the branch use gas for exterior lighting on the platform and loading dock, and that a Cordon is booked to come up on a passenger train every Friday morning.  It gets stabled on the goods dock road, meaning the loco has extra time booked to shunt any stock on that road out of the way and position the Cordon.  It can't go on the platform road unless I add a calling on signal to the home, as otherwise a passenger carrying train cannot access the platform!  I assume there is a a gas tank somewhere to supply the station, fed by a hose from one of the tanks on the Cordon in a 'no smoking' operation, and this will need a manhole cover to show it's location.  The wagon returns empty later in the day, maybe as tail traffic on the last auto ecs back to Tondu.  

 

I will probably model it as no.53 in G W faded grey livery; plenty of transfers on an HMRS sheet that can be used, and heavily weather it.  Is my assumption that it can travel as tail traffic on a passenger train correct, or does it need to come up with the pickup?  I've ordered it in black plastic, and it's being sent out tomorrow, so I might even have photos of it in service by the weekend!  AFAICT, it is a very simple kit and there is a top 'tanks' print which must be glued to the bottom 'wagon' print, then it's just wheels, couplings, xfers, and a coat of weathering muck and she's in service.  A new timetable day is starting very soon and guess what?  Yup, it's a Friday.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

28 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

... and a coat of weathering muck ...

There's a 1939 colour picture in 'The Big Four in Colour', but at some distance. The solebar 'G number W' is visible, but the vehicle is overall 'freight operations muck' livery, somewhat darker than the fairly dirty Toad it stands alongside.

[Steamport Southport]

This one I take it.

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1230.htm

 

 

 

Jason