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A38 autocoach interior colours


M51625

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All,

 

just nearing completion of my A38 autocoach (orion kit)

 

I'm going for the cream and crimson livery, so wondered what colour the interior, floor, walls and seats would have been?

 

Any help or pointers to reference material is appreciated..

 

Thanks. 

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Google "autocoach interior" and select images - there are quite a few.

 

I thought I had some photos when it was at the GCR but even though I wanted to detail the interior of the Hornby (Airfix?) I forgot to take any of the interior -doh!!

 

This was the best - http://www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk/pages/news/NewsItem.aspx?item=34

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That is an older A28 as in the Hornby/Aifix model. The OP asked about the later, 1951 BR built, A38. The interior of these had a few changes in the early years and only the first lot, W220-W234, appeared in carmine and cream. There is a description and photos of the interior variations in John Lewis' Great Western Auto Trailers, Part 2. For other photos on the web searching for the A38 preserved at Didcot might be the best approach.

 

Nick

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Page 79 of Peter Gray's book Steam in Cornwall shews an autocoach interior taken at Saltash in 1959.The caption states the interior panels were grained and varnished wood with a contrasing b&w photograph of a GWR scene on the bulkhead.Not sure of the diagram but it's build date was 1929-33 according to the caption.

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All,

 

just nearing completion of my A38 autocoach (orion kit)

 

I'm going for the cream and crimson livery, so wondered what colour the interior, floor, walls and seats would have been?

 

Any help or pointers to reference material is appreciated..

 

Thanks. 

 

 

Greetings,

 

These photos I took whilst W231 was 'in works' around 2007 might help:—

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Bloodaxe/library/GWS/W231?sort=9&page=1

 

The passenger saloons are as follows:

 

Ceiling - White

Walls above waistline - Off-white. They're definitely not cream; the original panelling was self-coloured Holoplast (which appears to be a cross between Melamine & SRBP), & appeared to have discoloured over the years. Where it was protected it was noticeably lighter, so the whole got done in white-with-a-hint-of-brown. Where the panels butt together they slot into aluminium extrusions - the outside faces were bright metal, but the untouched backs & slots were in a deep brown bronzed anodised finish that we attempted to replicate with tinted lacquer.

Walls below waistline - Chocolate brown. Same material as the upper panels.

Wood Trim - Stained walnut & varnished. Seat ends/backs, window sills, door surrounds, doors, notice boards etc..

Upholstery - Large Saloon (Smoking): Dark blue with pale fawn/cream filigree pattern. Small Saloon (Non-Smoking) : Deep red with same pattern.

Floor - Mid-brown Lino throughout.

 

The Driving Cab:—

 

Ceiling - White

Walls above waistline - Grained 'Light Oak'. The shade in the photos is probably too bright. Such surviving examples I've seen are a tad sandier in tone.

Walls below waistline - Grained 'Dark Oak'. The shade in the photos is, I fear a bit too red. Surviving examples suggest it would have benefited from having a splodge of brown in the mix..

Wood Trim - Stained walnut & varnished. Window sills, door surrounds, doors (uppers), notices, droplight frames etc.

Upholstery - Dark blue with pale fawn/cream filigree pattern on Guard's tip-up seat.

Floor - Painted red/brown. The floor is a mixture of timber & a fireproof cement screed.

 

Centre Vestibule:—

 

Ceiling - White

Walls above waistline - Grained 'Light Oak'.

Walls below waistline - Grained 'Dark Oak'.

Wood Trim - Stained walnut & varnished. Door surrounds, doors, ticket box, droplight frames etc.

Upholstery - Dark blue with pale fawn/cream filigree pattern on Guard's tip-up seat.

Floor - Mid-brown Lino throughout.

Step Gear - Black.

 

Luggage Van:—

 

Ceiling - White

Walls - Grained 'Light Oak'.

R/Hand door - (as viewed from the inside) Grained 'Dark Oak'.

Wood Trim - Stained walnut & varnished. Door surrounds, droplight frames etc.

Upholstery - Dark blue with pale fawn/cream filigree pattern on Emergency tip-up seats.

Floor - Painted red/brown. The floor is a fireproof cement screed.

 

Caveat(s) on the above. I'm not entirely sure about the Van walls. Earlier trailers with end windows had a Dark/Light split at the waistline all the way round. Unfortunately W231's van had been subject to a raft of repairs & repaints over the years and sadly nothing by way of original finishes seemed to have survived. As a result, my primary reference became E.159 No. 7371 which had a nearly intact Guard's van untouched since it's last BR shopping (parts of which I'm still fighting to have conserved rather than restored out of existence this time round). Thankfully the Cab & Vestibule didn't suffer as much, so revealed quite a lot of information.

That said, in the Cab there is a shroud that covers the regulator rod as it plunges through the floor - this was black. I chose to grain it on the basis that 1) if it was already fitted, the painters were unlikely to pick it out (especially at subsequent repaints) & 2) if new information turned up it'd be a lot easier to paint it black/brown/silver/whatever rather than attempt to match the graining colour.

Also W231 currently sports cream curtains in both saloons, but I suspect that they should be blue & red to match the upholstery. The earlier vinyl/rexine blinds were certainly made in a variety of shades that correspond with known cloth colours.

 

Regards,

 

Pete S.,

C&W Dept.,

GWS Didcot.

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I had a look at the DVD this morning, seems to be Thrush the named autocoach, (although some outside shots show Thrush and others a non named version). The inside has bus style seating with both the cushions and seat backs in a red leather type finish, upper coach panels off white/cream and inside driving compartment dark wood grained finished below waist level light above. I will have another loo to see what the colour of the handbrake is.     

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