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BR cabside steam locomotive numbers


Guest Phil

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In a phone conversation with my dad the other night he made one of his usual dogmatic statements that all BR steam locomotive cabside numbers were black edged. I have no proof to counter his statement, apart from if they were hand painted, surely it would take more than one shift to paint the cream / white number, and the black edging around it. Perhaps that was acceptable for passenger and mixed traffic locos painted green, maroon or blue, but wouild there be any point in painting a black edging around a plain black 8F, 4F or whatever ?

 

Interested to hear any thoughts on this, but more importantly any factual information.

 

Personally, I'd have thought that an engine such as a 4F or 8F painted plain black wouldn't have such adornment.

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I think your dad could be right Phil. There is a photograph in 'Railway Liveries' showing part of the cab side of 34105 (in preservation) where the caption says "note the locomotive number transfer embodies black edging to the cream numbers" and 'British Railways in Colour' includes a photo of 46203's cabside showing the black edging which must be pre preservation 'cos it's green. Bear in mind that, while lining was applied by hand, most numbers were applied by transfers so any black edging would only be seen on green or red engines even though it doesn't show up on many photographs.

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Phil, does dear old dogmatic Dad know that you're appealing to fellow RMwebbers to help you win your family arguments?

 

Maybe not, but I wouldn't have been the first to describe him as such. I'm not particularly wanting to "win the family argument", just seeking fact.

 

When did transfers replace paint ?

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When did transfers replace paint ?

 

Just guessing but I would suggest in the 1920s. Some pre-group railways may even have used transfers (that's another guess BTW). There are many 1920s photos in many books describing the loco number as "hand painted" implying that transfers were the norm.

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Butchers transfers was/is the company. They used to make model transfers too (at least for the former SMS range).

 

No that wasn't the one I was thinking of. Eventually found it. "Tearne and Sons" who the NRM says were the "the main

manufacturer of railway transfer art in Britain". See

 

http://www.nrm.org.uk/~/media/Files/NRM/PDF/archiveslists2012/businesses/Introduction%20to%20Tearne%20and%20archive%20list.pdf

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