Class 03 shunters - wasp stripe application - when?

[Alex TM]

Hi everyone,

 

I am trying to find out in what years the above class transitioned from plain green to having wasp stripes; my particular interest is in numbers D2000 through D2030.  I have found plenty of photographs of most of that group however very few seem to be dated, or are datable from other items in the image.  Those that are dated are often from later in the 1960s onward.

 

The end purpose is to establish how early the locos received the stripes, and from there work out what steam classes I could run with them at the same time.

 

As ever, many thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Alex TM
Editing tags.

[bécasse]

Wasp stripes were applied to locos built or overhauled from mid-1960. It is, unfortunately, difficult to ascertain when locos built before mid-1960 were first overhauled after it, thus acquiring wasp stripes. 

 

Electrification flashes were also applied from mid-1960 but in this case at depots so most locos acquired them quickly without waiting for an overhaul.

 

Condensed style painted numbers had been introduced c1959 so it was possible to see locos with condensed style painted numbers but without wasp stripes.

[Alex TM]

Hi Becasse,

 

Many thanks for your response; it's really useful as it'll help me narrow down the dates of a few images.

 

(May I also apologise for the missing acute accent - I couldn't find a way to insert one.)

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[phil_sutters]

48 minutes ago, Alex TM said:

 

 

(May I also apologise for the missing acute accent - I couldn't find a way to insert one.)

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

The easiest way when replying to someone is to highlight their name and copy and paste. I haven't yet mastered the way to do it from scratch!

[Halvarras]

As a point of interest Class 03s were built at Swindon and Doncaster - from examination of photographs it appears that Swindon outshopped them with the larger steam-style numbers and brass window frames, Doncaster applied the standard diesel block serif numbers and used aluminium window frames. Eastern Region-allocated Swindon-built locos overhauled at ER works lost the larger numbers in favour of the block serif style.

 

bécasse is correct, it's very hard to pin down precisely when the stripes were applied as these small shunters didn't attract much attention for photographers at that time - just keep trawling for photos with fingers crossed.......

(Thanks for the tip Phil_s, it worked! )

[03060]

If you wish to use a person's RM Web moniker in a reply just type the @ symbol immediately followed by the first few letters of their moniker, a drop down box will appear containing all the RM Web users with an alphabetically similar moniker which you can either scroll down through or add more letters to your selection to narrow it down to the person you are looking for ie @bécasse or @phil_sutters.

 

Hope this is of more use than any advice I can offer regarding the 03s and wasp stripes. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by 03060
Spellings corrected

[Enterprisingwestern]

51 minutes ago, 03060 said:

Hope this is of more use than any advice I can offer regarding the 03s and wasp stripes. 

 

With your moniker I was expecting something on the 03's!!

 

Mike.

[phil_sutters]

The only 03 Dad photographed was this one - a bit late for you in 1966 - not in your number range - and in a snow storm! I could however tell you which steam locos were in the area at the time, as I have his spotting log book. There were only a few among loads of diesels.

Edited May 30, 2021 by phil_sutters

[bécasse]

1 hour ago, phil_sutters said:

The only 03 Dad photographed was this one - a bit late for you in 1966 - not in your number range - and in a snow storm! I could however tell you which steam locos were in the area at the time, as I have his spotting log book. There were only a few among loads of diesels.

I reckon that at the precise date of that photo, just about all 03s were liveried like that, ie they had all (bar possibly an odd one stored out of service) acquired wasp stripes and the serif style numbers, and hardly any (and perhaps none) had yet acquired the new blue livery. As for New Street itself, it would just another 11 months before it went electric.