LNER Wartime black Livery

[Steve Taylor]

Having gone through Yeadon's looking for a prototype Darlington based V2, I've landed on a choice of 60864 (Darlington - '44-'48, No. 4835-864) or 60848 (51a - '58-'61, No. 4818-848) or 60837 (a brief stay in '55 but unclear) I'm tempted by 60864 since during its stay it very likely didn't carry a lined livery (I'd like to keep it simple for this first major first attempt) and the wartime period and the austerity/national service era would fit with use on troop trains around Barnard Castle/Broomielaw. Now having enginneered a reason for a simple paint scheme........ just what sort of black, gloss,matt or semi-matt would have been used? Going by the BR era plain black freight livery I would assume gloss but given wartime economies would matt have been used? Certainly some models I've seen have plumbed for matt but it always looks to even and flat to my eye. Would anyone have a clearer answer or better still first hand proof/memory?

Thanks all

Steve

[James]

Going by the BR era plain black freight livery I would assume gloss but given wartime economies would matt have been used?

From photos I've seen it would be gloss black - I think the savings came from the lack of lining and the time involved. Pictures of ex-works LNER locos in this livery certainly appear to have been 'properly' finished.

 

The B1 at the top in this link seems to show gloss.

 

Certainly some models I've seen have plumbed for matt but it always looks to even and flat to my eye.

One day more modellers will realise that painting everything matt is terribly unrealistic - nothing will ruin a model more that a dead matt black finish!

[Steve Taylor]

James,

thanks for flagging that one up. Question answered.

And i couldn't agree more and will have to learn to make an "un-uniform finish" properly.

ta

Steve