LSWR brake van footboards

[Steve Sykes]

Does the group know whether the footboards on LSWR brake vans were painted, and if so what colour?

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[bécasse]

Such photographs as exist show that they definitely weren't painted body colour (which is presumably why you have raised the question).

 

If they were painted at all they would have been in one of the (heavily) lead-based primers which could have been black, red, grey or white. In all the photos that I have seen they appear lighter than the body colour so they can't have been black or red (which would have appeared near-black in at least some of the photos because of the photographic processes of the day), so that leaves grey or white.

 

They don't appear white in the photos, however white-lead paint quickly darkens wherever minute traces of hydrogen sulphide are present in the atmosphere (and it is a constituent of both town gas and marsh gas so it was pretty much omnipresent), so they could have been white when new but very quickly became grey in use. Alternatively they could have been painted grey from new.

 

It is also possible that they were just left unpainted, in which case they would have quickly greyed in use.

 

So if I was modelling one I would paint the footboards a muddy grey "colour".

 

Subsequent edit:

Inevitably just after writing the above I found a reference to the use of a dark grey primer on LSWR freight stock which was, in effect, the final finish on most wagon interiors. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what was used on footboards, it would have weathered quickly in use and doesn't change my above view that a model's footboards should be painted a muddy grey colour.

[IWCR]

Footboards  are  unlikely  to be  painted.  Paint  wouild  very  quickly  wear  through.

Probably  natural  wood  and  creosoted,  this  would  age  to  a  weathered  grey/brown.

 

Possibly  some  edges  or  ends  may  be  picked out  in  white  to  aid  visiblility  in  poor  light.

If  so  this  may  be  visible  in  photos  Look  for  colour  differnces  around  the  guards  footsep  area.

After  prolonged  use  much  would  have  a  dusting of  brake  dust  and  show  little  colour  variation.

 

Pete

[bécasse]

Footboards  are  unlikely  to be  painted.  Paint  wouild  very  quickly  wear  through.

Probably  natural  wood  and  creosoted,  this  would  age  to  a  weathered  grey/brown.

 

 

I did, as mentioned above, consider that the footboards might have been unpainted (as per BR practice). However, my subsequent discovery that the interiors of LSWR freight vehicles were painted in a dark grey lead primer paint (which was also used as the first undercoat on the exteriors) makes it almost certain that the same treatment was accorded to footboards. It is very unlikely that creosote would have ever been used on footboards.

 

That said the net result remains the same - a muddy grey colour.

[Steve Sykes]

Thank you for your replies.  Muddy grey it is.  I'll post a picture when the van is finished.

 

Steve

[Steve Sykes]

Here's a picture of the completed van, just the DG couplings to be attached.