Great central railway signal box colours br period.

[Simon Moore]

For a while now I have had a kit for Killamarsh signal box lurking around in the workshop. I have needed a distraction from building rolling stock & thought the signal box kit might be the answer. The GC isn't my strongest point & so I consulted one of the Marsden rail dvds I have to see what colours the boxes were. Killamarsh box features & it seems to be a pale cream colour with a faded lime green to match.

 

Could anyone possibly recommend some matching colours that would suit the box? 

[Steamport Southport]

Have you looked here?

 

https://www.stationcolours.info/london-north-eastern-railway/

 

 

Jason

[Simon Moore]

Thanks Jason, very helpful that page.

 

Simon

[Helmdon]

Just as a spanner in the works, I'm not an expert on the northern end of the GC - my knowledge is concentrated between Leicester and Calvert - and I can never remember whether the BR(LM) takeover got all the way to Sheffield or not. If it did, then be aware that LM did a rapid 'we've vanquished the old enemy'* repaint of most GC structures into their colours - which the link provided doesn't mention. So if you want to be late 50s or later then you might be looking at maroon rather than green.

 

*more prosaically it might just be that BR(LM) had to repaint because BR(E) hadn't bothered, and it was all starting to look a bit shabby, which is ironic given quite how shabby it was going to look within about 5 years of the takeover....

[Helmdon]

For completeness, because my Killamarsh is having to do duty in the Northants bit of the London Extension in about 1958 (I know, not right for an extension signalbox, but it is at least GC and I needed a short term stand in), I've gone cream and maroon after the pattern of the colour photograph available on an image search for the last years of the box at Culworth Junction.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Helmdon

[David Bigcheeseplant]

Aylesbury went maroon and cream in 1950 as the station went to LMR at that date although it was not until 1957 that the LMR took over motive power.

[Helmdon]

19 minutes ago, David Bigcheeseplant said:

Aylesbury went maroon and cream in 1950 as the station went to LMR at that date although it was not until 1957 that the LMR took over motive power.

I did think about saying that, but Killamarsh is definitely wrong for that far south!

[John Tomlinson]

On 26/08/2021 at 20:38, Simon Moore said:

For a while now I have had a kit for Killamarsh signal box lurking around in the workshop. I have needed a distraction from building rolling stock & thought the signal box kit might be the answer. The GC isn't my strongest point & so I consulted one of the Marsden rail dvds I have to see what colours the boxes were. Killamarsh box features & it seems to be a pale cream colour with a faded lime green to match.

 

Could anyone possibly recommend some matching colours that would suit the box? 

Please could you tell us where this kit came from - I'd love one, or two!

 

Thanks,

 

John.

[MartinRS]

https://railmodel.co.uk/ make a kit for the GCR signal cabin.

[t-b-g]

I bought one of these kits for Killamarsh Signal Box in 7mm scale. In the photos it looks superb but I was a little bit disappointed when the kit arrived. The main sides and ends are basically flat, with the planking and corner pillars marked with laser cut lines.

 

There is no relief and the "shiplap" planks are flat rather than overlapped on a slight angle like the real GCR boxes were.

 

I have ended up cladding the whole thing in plasticard, adding all the relief that should be there. I also replaced the windows as the glazing bars were a bit thick (in that they stand too far proud of the glazing.

 

That may not bother some people at all but I thought I would mention it.

 

I attach a few snaps to show what I have done so far.

 

[The Johnster]

Colours and signage depend on:-

 

.The region the box was in, LMR or ER in this case. 
 

.The date, as the regional boundaries changed as has been mentioned, but considering…

 

.Did anyone bother, and how long did it take them to acquire the necessary round tuit. 
 

Reliably dated and provenanced photos are your friends here, and if they are unavailable, go with your best guess instinct, but be ready to repaint if better information ever comes to light.  

[delticman]

Killamarsh fell into the Sheffield Division of the Eastern Region of British Railways being an ex Great Central signalbox later absorbed by the LNER at the Grouping. As such it remained in LNER colours at Nationalisation, only any signage being replaced by the regional colour of dark blue. Many boxes and indeed stations remained in these colours for decades.

Here is a photo of Darnall West box that I photographed in the early eighties still sporting ex LNER paintwork (by then well faded) though the "Private" sign on the entrance door is Eastern Region dark blue enamel.

Hope this helps,

Geoff

 

[Helmdon]

23 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

 

.Did anyone bother, and how long did it take them to acquire the necessary round tuit. 
 

Reliably dated and provenanced photos are your friends here, and if they are unavailable, go with your best guess instinct, but be ready to repaint if better information ever comes to light.  

well this is it - as delticman shows it's quite straightforward if you're in a bit where nothing changed (which Killamarsh was) but on the London Extension it's a trap for the unwary because LM were *very* fast to repaint. Almost unbelievably so actually, because even as someone who models it I struggle to understand sometimes why they bothered.

[Simon Moore]

Sorry for not reply to you guys sooner it is the first time I have been on the forum in a while. The picture of Darnall box is perfect in what I want to achieve with all the grot & fade.

 

Funnily enough I have had the kit out this evening to start construction but I have hit a few snags with it.