Class 141 Railbus Livery

[k9-70]

I've just scanned this image from a old copy of Modern Railways 02/1983, that I used to have. Sadly the magazine was thrown out many years ago.

 

The image shows the Class 141 Railbus under construction, and painted in the Blue/Grey livery.

 

Now the question is, did the Class 141 enter service in this livery, or were they repainted in WYPTE Verona Green & Cream before entering service.

 

ADMIN EDIT - image removed for copyright purposes.

 

Class 141 Railbus under construction

 

K9-70

[deltic79]

? Can't answer your question directly I'm afraid but did find this photo of a set in blue/grey at Derby in May 1985. Possibly on a test run from the RTC?

 

Though in the same gallery is this? photo of a unit in green/cream from February of the same year at York.

 

 

Rob

[k9-70]

Hi Rob,

 

Thanks for the info and links to the photos.

My guess is that only one or two of the Class 141 sets received the blue/grey livery but where retained for testing etc;

with the remainder of the class entering service in the WYPTE Verona Green & Cream livery.

 

K9-70

[Flood]

I remember seeing the 141s laid up at Litchurch Lane Carriage Works at Derby for ages wearing the original Blue and Grey. Having a scan through Rail Enthusiast from 1983 it says that coupling them in multiple initially caused big problems.

 

The first five carried Blue and Grey. 141006 was delivered in buttermilk and green and all the others except 141001, which remained at the RTC for a while, were either delivered or repainted that colour. Something tells me that 141001 never carried the buttermilk and green livery but went straight to the later deep red when they all became 141/1s. Not totally sure about that though.

[jamie92208]

141001 certainly was delivered to Leeds in Blue/Grey and was put on display at Leeds station. I do have a photo of my son standing in front of it but unfortunatley it's only in black and white. 140001 (the prototype) was also in Blue/Grey and was stored at Holbeck shed for many years but never ran in revenue earning serivice as far as I know. On another note does anyone have pictures of the 141's in service in Iran, that were sent out there some years ago. (No wonder they don't like us).

 

Jamie

[Guest stuartp]

140001 (the prototype) was also in Blue/Grey and was stored at Holbeck shed for many years but never ran in revenue earning serivice as far as I know.

 

It sort of ran in revenue service, it was diagrammed on Leeds-Barnsley-Sheffield services for a while to gauge public reaction and to test it under real working conditions. We used to watch it from the top of the banking at Darton High School during breaks, the local stations all had posters up explaining how the doors worked.

[DavidB-AU]

Speaking of which, the 141s in a later life.

 

 

Proof that Iran has weapons of mass destruction!

 

Cheers

David

[SRman]

I agree with much of what has been said already. The first few were built in blue and grey but did not enter service in that livery, being painted in West Yorkshire PTE's Verona Green and Buttermilk livery before entering service with that undertaking.

 

 

 

 

 

[pete_mcfarlane]

There's an article on these units (and the various prototype Leyland railbuses) in the December Today's railways UK. Might be worth a read for anyone interested.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Got a feeling that the blue/grey livery in which the first members of the class were delivered in, were more Leyland's interpretation of the blue/grey shade, rather than BR's.

[Natalie]

Got a feeling that the blue/grey livery in which the first members of the class were delivered in, were more Leyland's interpretation of the blue/grey shade, rather than BR's.

 

According to the afore-mentioned article in the current issue of Today's Railways UK Dec 2009 issue there were differences in the shades of blue applied.

 

The blue applied to 140001 is apparently a royal blue of the "same colour as the Scottish Omnibus livery because British Leyland had a lot of that shade of paint in stock."

 

Accordingly the notes state that "141001-141005 were delivered to BR in Workington Corporation blue colours, which was a darker shade of blue than the standard BR blue."

 

There is no mention as to the shade of grey used so presumably it was standard BR Rail Grey.

 

The same article also records that 141006 which was the first in Verona green and buttermilk was handed over to West Yorkshire PTE on 19th March 1984 after being prepared over the preceding weekend at Neville Hill for the ceremony. It also mentions that "at that time the other units (141001-141005) were in use on Leeds- York and Leeds- Harrogate driver training runs." The first unit entered passenger service in the next month (18th) and was used between Leeds- Goole. No clue as to its identity is given though. The lack of unit numbers on the ends (except on 141006) makes identification in photographs difficult so as to get some clue as to how quickly the first five would have been repainted.