Inside Motion Colour

[David Bigcheeseplant]

What colour was the inside motion on locomotives. I know generally the inside of the frames were red but did this extend to the valve gear or connecting rods etc. or were these left unpainted?

[Jol Wilkinson]

David,

 

I suggest they would probably be unpainted. As machined they would have a film of oil or cutting lubricant which would need cleaning off thoroughly before painting. In use they would soon be covered in oil too. I  expect they also be left unpainted for easier inspection for cracks and damage.

 

Of course those railways that painted outside coupling rods might also have done the same with inside gear.

 

Jol

[Michael Edge]

Depends when you're talking about, there was none of this red frame stuff in BR days despite what most modellers think.

[wagonman]

As a general rule the old companies did paint most bits between the frames in red – the exception was for bearing parts such as slide bars, crossheads, crank axles, eccentrics etc. A visit to the NRM is recommended...

[Tim V]

Seen at the Swindon museum.

[L49]

As a general rule the old companies did paint most bits between the frames in red – the exception was for bearing parts such as slide bars, crossheads, crank axles, eccentrics etc. A visit to the NRM is recommended...

 

An interesting exception, at least according to the NRM's J69, and I think the E4, was the GER. If we believe the restorations on these, the inside faces of the frames and non bearing motion parts were painted a sandy yellow.

[unclebobkt]

       An interesting exception, at least according to the NRM's J69, and I think the E4, was the GER. If we believe the restorations on these, the inside faces of the frames and non bearing motion parts were painted a sandy yellow.

 

        Didn't yellow paint have two uses -

>. -  For those having to work between the frames and having to avail of the traditional railways' hand-held oil-lamps to reflect the light more than red does  &

>. - To better shew-up oil-leaks and spills.

 

   I believe that one of the Scottish railways painted the underside of its locomotives' boiler-cladding with yellow paint  to assist in inter-frame visibility.

 

       

[David Bigcheeseplant]

I am building a High Level 54XX chassis and thought if I spray with red primer, I am halfway there in getting the colour, I just then need to paint the outside bits black.

 

David