Thames Board Livery On OTA Timber Wagons

[JohnH]

I'm after some clarification as to the livery applied to several OTA timber wagons in the 1980's. 

 

I'm referring to the (exclusively??)ex OCA conversions that carried 'Thames Board' livery on round wood traffic from Scotland to Workington and various other locations on Speedlink services. My own photos of the 'Thames Board' livery adorning these OTA's is a dark-ish blue. Various books in my possession also show photos of these ex OCA  OTA's in blue , but some are pictured finished in a pale green colour that is also described as 'Thames Board' livery, or 'faded Thames Board' livery. A mate of mine maintains that this green livery was connected with the Forestry Commission (or whatever they were called back then).

 

Did the 'Thames Board' livery change from blue to green, or was it simply the blue fading over time to this pale green colour? 

 

Thanks for any help.

 

PS: I realise many ex VDA OTA's were finished in blue for 'Kronospan' traffic to Chirk and the unique ex VDA OTA (with big stantions) was finished in 'Forest Enterprise' green.

[hmrspaul]

I dont really understand what you are asking but there are green OTA ex OCA in http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ota

 

Doubtless the whole history will be revealed in DEMU Update

 

Paul

[Pugsley]

Did the livery change when Thames Board was taken over by BPB?  The BPB house colour is blue.

[JohnH]

Thanks for the replies gents.

 

Sorry if I didn't make it clear Paul - The question was: did the Thames Board livery change from blue to green?

 

Pugsley - who was/are BPB?

[Pugsley]

British Plaster Board, otherwise known as British Gypsum.  From what I can gather, at some point ownership of Thames Board transferred from Unilever to BPB, I just don't know when.

[JohnH]

Brilliant, thanks Pugsley.

[davefreight]

The 'Thames Board' OTA's retained the blue livery long after they were released into general timber traffic although of course over time it gradually faded.  However, it didn't fade to green.  The pale green livery was a new colour scheme applied to other OTA's, if memory serves, after the end of Speedlink when for a while only the traffic to Shotton remained on rail.  That green livery was I believe associated in some way with that flow but on several visits to Dee Marsh yard in the early 1990's one could find every type and every livery of OTA known to man heading for Shotton Paper.

 

Davefreight

Edited December 24, 2014 by davefreight

[a@y]

The 'Thames Board' OTA's retained the blue livery long after they were released into general timber traffic although of course over time it gradually faded.  However, it didn't fade to green.  The pale green livery was a new colour scheme applied to other OTA's, if memory serves, after the end of Speedlink when for a while only the traffic to Shotton remained on rail.  That green livery was I believe associated in some way with that flow but on several visits to Dee Marsh yard in the early 1990's one could find every type and every livery of OTA known to man heading for Shotton Paper.

 

Davefreight

See the DEMU Update articles for details of liveries. Published 2013-2015 in about 9 articles so far.

a@y

[aasmall]

Just finishing a couple of Cambrian OTA-C wagons and am looking for a good match for the Thames Board Blue, any suggestions?

 

I'm thinking ECC blue at the moment could be a good starting point.

 

thanks

 

Andy