RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 22, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2022 Does anyone have a complete list of which class 31's carried corporate blue with white stripe? I've come across at least 31309/404/411/413. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 I took a few photos in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 31408 Hornsey 4/10/80. 31411 Kings Cross 7/10/78. 31415 Newton Abbot 5/11/81 31424 Newton Abbot 5/11/81. Cheers 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Davexoc Posted August 22, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 22, 2022 I'll add 412 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 31 402; I found all these pics on the web. Confirming 31 411 had a red buffer beam as well.... My personal favourite, 31 415, allocated to OOC at the time, apparently on ECS duty at Paddington in this view. Note evidence of white tyres, and builder's plate still on cab side. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 23, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2022 ER white stripe was white paint as far as I know. Old Oak Common 'white' stripe was definitely coaching stock pale grey. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said: Old Oak Common 'white' stripe was definitely coaching stock pale grey. The photos of 31415 and 31424 above would support that - so the white stripes I applied to an Airfix model of 31413 (with larger numbers) I did about 40 years ago was not quite right then? Ah well, way too late now.......looked nice with white wheel rims though. And yes, I did panel over the side steps and boiler port before respraying 😉 31411 displayed running numbers (and very unusually data panels) on all four cabsides for a while, timespan uncertain. PS OT but I always liked Tri-ang's D5578 in blue with twin stripes and was very disappointed when I saw a photo of the drab-looking real one without the stripes or yellow panels. Hymeks D7004/7/51 in all-over blue vs standard green livery had much the same effect.......... Edited August 23, 2022 by Halvarras Added the PS.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike_Walker Posted August 23, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2022 Add carriage pre-heating unit ADB968015, the former 31014 (D5514) seen at March Diesel Depot. 1983. Not sure if it acquired the white stripe before or after conversion. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 08221 Posted August 23, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2022 A poor schoolboy shot by me of an unrecorded OC grey stripe class 31/4 approaching Denbigh Hall junction at Bletchley off the Oxford line with an Old Oak Common to Wolverton Works stock move - happy days! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 13 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said: Add carriage pre-heating unit ADB968015, the former 31014 (D5514) seen at March Diesel Depot. 1983. Not sure if it acquired the white stripe before or after conversion. 95% certain it was after. However ISTR there was one Class 31 which did have the stripe completely encircling the body - was it 31304 or 31309? I did this to a Tri-ang model before selling it on c1980 but can't now remember the number I stuck on it (which is very unlike me!) but I'm sure it was based on a photo I'd seen in a magazine - not Rail Enthusiast as that didn't appear until the following year. I don't think the real one lasted long, can anyone confirm this or did I misinterpret the photo?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Davexoc Posted August 23, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2022 7 hours ago, Halvarras said: 95% certain it was after. However ISTR there was one Class 31 which did have the stripe completely encircling the body - was it 31304 or 31309? I did this to a Tri-ang model before selling it on c1980 but can't now remember the number I stuck on it (which is very unlike me!) but I'm sure it was based on a photo I'd seen in a magazine - not Rail Enthusiast as that didn't appear until the following year. I don't think the real one lasted long, can anyone confirm this or did I misinterpret the photo?! 31304 link here http://www.hatspics.co.uk/photo_expanded.php?id=7805024 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 4 hours ago, Davexoc said: 31304 link here http://www.hatspics.co.uk/photo_expanded.php?id=7805024 OK, 31304, that's the one - thanks for that! Nice to know my two remaining brain cells are still working.....🤪 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 24, 2022 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2022 (edited) Thanks all. So far we have:- 31014 ( as ADB968015) 31304 stripe all around body 31309 from 1989 31402 31403 31404 31405 31407 31408 31409 31411 (numbers & TOPS panels on all cabs & red bufferbeam) 31412 31413 31414 31415 31416 31424 Amy more for any more? Edited August 24, 2022 by rodent279 Added 403-405, 407, 409, 413, 414, 416 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Pilotman Posted August 24, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2022 31407 https://www.flickr.com/photos/uk-railpix/8359867508/in/photolist-dJJvmG-6mTRW9-2ku5Zos-oAjWkS-2kJrs9y-nwHggW-i5fuRV-bqf9cD-2dr2UJ7-2hfc2H3-23vdz7L-p9y6b8-byjAWt-byjAWH-2jAkwBs-nbxtvc-dMkyou-5qLUuj-ToQ21H-26d4Vuh-fb5zVy-KaT4Z1-7Ga9m8-8hrf1M-26d4WWq-26d4Yuq-8RyhXR-26d4Yfs-c2RdEm-23mAnah-ov8NzV-2gc17MJ-FtTZHG-wJYDq5-6o35g6-89g8B5-u4w5N6-dKQi24-dT4scN-DeETc-69EAQ7-69Ey6y-69EACu-Fjh8Xi-8BGLvr-DeHyA-75zx3N-TZErBQ-6pLYWf-2me9X33 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2O Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 1 hour ago, rodent279 said: Thanks all. So far we have:- 31014 ( as ADB968015) 31304 stripe all around body 31309 from 1989 31402 31403 31404 31405 31408 31409 31411 (numbers & TOPS panels on all cabs & red bufferbeam) 31412 31415 31424 Amy more for any more? Great list, thanks to all the contributors :-) Sorry if obvious but is there any reason for the stripe, e.g. to identify 31s with eth? As more than one shed seems to have it perhaps a notice from head office to add it or perhaps a local thing that spread? From photos above 31014 also has an all-round stripe and the 31 behind it too (although that one is in overall green). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 7 hours ago, H2O said: Sorry if obvious but is there any reason for the stripe, e.g. to identify 31s with eth? As more than one shed seems to have it perhaps a notice from head office to add it or perhaps a local thing that spread? As far as I know it was started by Finsbury Park, around the same time they applied white window surrounds to their Deltics, just for Depot pride. The painter (there's a photo of him in a Deltics book I'm sure) clearly had a bit of time on his hands and some white paint left over... 🤣 I imagine OOC did it due to inter-Depot, and inter-Region rivalry!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 A pity the 31/4s (at least) weren't identified by extending the full yellow ends into the cab side window recesses.....sorry, I'm sounding like a broken record on this pet bugbear of mine on these locos, I still don't understand why it was never done (except to Old Oak Common's 31135 c1982-4), but anyway 🤐 - back to the stripes..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 08221 Posted August 24, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2022 16 minutes ago, Halvarras said: A pity the 31/4s (at least) weren't identified by extending the full yellow ends into the cab side window recesses.....sorry, I'm sounding like a broken record on this pet bugbear of mine on these locos, I still don't understand why it was never done (except to Old Oak Common's 31135 c1982-4), but anyway 🤐 - back to the stripes..... In the early 80s, any changes to the corporate BR blue livery were often frowned upon by "higher authority" and depots told to remove their customisation. Thankfully sense prevailed and more depots started to treat their locos with more pride. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 24, 2022 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2022 I've had a look through flickr, and there's no sign of any having a white stripe above 416, apart from 424. I've only gone up to 427, as I think only the earlier batches of 31/4's had stripes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 8 hours ago, 08221 said: In the early 80s, any changes to the corporate BR blue livery were often frowned upon by "higher authority" and depots told to remove their customisation. Thankfully sense prevailed and more depots started to treat their locos with more pride. Quite so, however according to an article on the application of the new corporate image BR blue livery in I think Traction 90 (April 2002), "locomotives with a clearly defined recess around the cab side windows should have the yellow extended into that area" (I may be paraphrasing here, I am currently unable to access my mag store in the loft to check on health grounds - hernia operation recovery, ladder-climbing forbidden!) On these grounds Class 31 was more qualified for the treatment than Classes 47 & 50 or the BRCW trio which at least had the benefit of beading, but for some reason Doncaster never followed these guidelines over the c20 years they applied bog standard blue full yellow livery to these locos, from D5649 in 1966 to the final Class 31/4 conversions in the mid-80s. 31135 showed how much better these locos should have looked. Having had a keen interest in 1960s/70s diesel loco liveries since those times this still puzzled me - blue 31s didn't have to look SO boring, and green full yellow ones would have looked better for it too. Thank heavens Swindon didn't treat the Hymeks that way......🤔 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 10 hours ago, rodent279 said: I've had a look through flickr, and there's no sign of any having a white stripe above 416, apart from 424. I've only gone up to 427, as I think only the earlier batches of 31/4's had stripes. IIRC at the time (c. 1980), the 31/4 sub-class wasn't that big anyway. Hence why only 'early' 31/4s got the treatment. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 25, 2022 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2022 30 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said: IIRC at the time (c. 1980), the 31/4 sub-class wasn't that big anyway. Hence why only 'early' 31/4s got the treatment. Yes, I think up to about 1983, they ended at 31424 or 425. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 15 hours ago, Halvarras said: A pity the 31/4s (at least) weren't identified by extending the full yellow ends into the cab side window recesses.....sorry, I'm sounding like a broken record on this pet bugbear of mine on these locos, I still don't understand why it was never done (except to Old Oak Common's 31135 c1982-4), but anyway 🤐 - back to the stripes..... 31 135 in the Factory at Old Oak on 4th April '82 receiving it's Hymek style paint job... 31 413 at Old Oak... 31 414 at Padd in April 1981... 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 25, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2022 18 hours ago, F-UnitMad said: As far as I know it was started by Finsbury Park, around the same time they applied white window surrounds to their Deltics, just for Depot pride. The painter (there's a photo of him in a Deltics book I'm sure) clearly had a bit of time on his hands and some white paint left over... 🤣 I imagine OOC did it due to inter-Depot, and inter-Region rivalry!!! Not exactly. The coaching stock grey stripe on Old Oak Class 31s served a specific purpose - it indicated that the loco was ETH fitted (although I suspect that not everybody knew that). And that of course also rather craftily meant that it wasn't 'a livery enhancement' but was there for a valid reason. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 25, 2022 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2022 2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said: 31 414 at Padd in April 1981... Looks like 414 has been bang road sometime....... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted August 25, 2022 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2022 49 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said: Not exactly. The coaching stock grey stripe on Old Oak Class 31s served a specific purpose - it indicated that the loco was ETH fitted (although I suspect that not everybody knew that). And that of course also rather craftily meant that it wasn't 'a livery enhancement' but was there for a valid reason. That would explain why it was mainly 31/4's that got the stripe, only a couple of non-eth ones seem so far to have been so embellished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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