Colour of GWR loco coal wagons

[Denbridge]

On 09/03/2020 at 11:42, Il Grifone said:

Surely this would have affected the steel merchandise coal wagons as well? AFAIK these were always grey.

The difference being that loco coal wagons were not general merchandise vehicles and restricted to company use?

[Graham456]

The thing I go by is that back in 1936 when Hornby produced their No2 GWR high capacity loco coal wagon the sides of this tin plate wagon were GRAY now they were there looking at the real thing at the time not relying on memory or what some one put in a book,

 

[Il Grifone]

21 hours ago, Denbridge said:

The difference being that loco coal wagons were not general merchandise vehicles and restricted to company use?

 

The corrosion would not have known whether it was a company vehicle or general merchandise. It could be that the GWR was concerned about their own wagons and less so about those hired out. If Tri-ang Hornby is to be believed the  S & C steel wagons were green.

 

While Meccano Ltd. were generally correct with liveries, there were some aberrations. I have a GWR goods brake and a red gas tank with gold lettering and a pretty blue and yellow crane wagon for example.

 

From what I gather, the black for loco coal wagons only came in the thirties, which would also explain the merchandise wagons in grey. It is even possible it was a wartime expedient? They certainly became (light) grey again under British Railways (personal observation).

 

As has been said before, we really need an official document.

 

EDIT.

A quote from gwr.org

"The experts are still arguing when, and even if, all-black became the livery for permanent way, loco coal, and engineering wagons, but the prevailing view is that such vehicles carried normal grey livery."

There is still debate as to the date for the switch from red to grey for wagons, due to lack of any official mention. (The current idea seems to be 1904 with the adoption of the large 'G  W'.)

Edited March 12, 2020 by Il Grifone

[Graham456]

There is still debate as to the date for the switch from red to grey for wagons, due to lack of any official mention. (The current idea seems to be 1904 with the adoption of the large 'G  W'.)

 

O No ! Just to add more worry you bring up the Red Gray debate.  

Thanks !