4VEP BR Blue Livery

[Fiat500]

Does anyone know how long the plain BR Blue livery lasted on the Southern Region 4-VEP units, and which were the last units to wear it before gaining the standard Blue & Grey livery?

 

I read somewhere recently that it was becoming quite rare by 1971, which seems a little early, considering that there were many EPB units carrying that livery into the 1980s.

 

Thanks.

[Oldddudders]

When Southern Region started painting EMUs in blue, that was it - blue. So the much-vaunted electrification from Pirbright Junction to Bournemouth, inaugurated 10th July 1967, was operated entirely by plain blue new REPs,TCs and VEPs. The first blue/grey VEP was 7808, which started life on the Central in 1970, although I believe the subsequent few units still appeared in plain blue, while somebody made their mind up about whether the extra cost was justified.

 

It takes years to repaint a fleet of rolling stock, especially when the original paint is fine, so the effect is purely marketing or cosmetic.

 

The 4-EPBs were suburban units, while the VEPs were officially classified as Outer Suburban. Decisions on blue/grey for EPBs would have been taken later.

[keefer]

i think the the original idea was that blue/grey was for mainline loco-hauled stock and multiple-units would be given plain blue?

which quite soon became blue/grey for any mainline/express stock of whatever form, with plain blue for the humdrum 'secondary' stock - REP/TC/VEP/CIG/BIG etc got blue/grey early 70s

 

of course, much later in the 70s, blue/grey became the general livery for all stock, inc. EPBs although not all MU stock received it

[robertcwp]

I believe the last Veps went blue/grey in 1973. The last of the Bournemouth express stock went blue/grey much earlier - 1971 from memory.

 

7808 was painted blue/grey from new as an experiment but 7809-15 came out in blue. There was then a gap before further Veps were constructed, during which 102 Cigs and 10 Bigs appeared on the scene.

 

Have a look at this and the next few photos in the set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevs_trains/1794190764/in/set-72157604661458832

[RFS]

There's a nice video clip of a 4REP and 2 4TCs in blue leaving Waterloo here -

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthernRailwayFilms#p/u/174/9ch2qnUl9Gg

[Fiat500]

Thanks for the responses guys, much appreciated!

[talisman56]

When Southern Region started painting EMUs in blue, that was it - blue. So the much-vaunted electrification from Pirbright Junction to Bournemouth, inaugurated 10th July 1967, was operated entirely by plain blue new REPs,TCs and VEPs. The first blue/grey VEP was 7808, which started life on the Central in 1970, although I believe the subsequent few units still appeared in plain blue, while somebody made their mind up about whether the extra cost was justified.

 

It takes years to repaint a fleet of rolling stock, especially when the original paint is fine, so the effect is purely marketing or cosmetic.

 

The 4-EPBs were suburban units, while the VEPs were officially classified as Outer Suburban. Decisions on blue/grey for EPBs would have been taken later.

 

Blue/Grey generally started to appear on the BR(SR) EMUs, in 1969. At about this time, the original 4Cig/Big units and the REPs and TCs were being overhauled/repainted, and the Mid-Sussex units were being delivered in Blue/Grey. As Oldddudders said, 7808 appeared in Blue/Grey, in 1970, but the VEPs did not appear in B/G until 1972 (new units from 7816) and 1973 (repaints). None of the 'Pre-EP' main-line units appeared in Blue/Grey except for the 'Brighton Belle' units, which succumbed in 1969.

 

Moody's 'Southern Electric 1909-79' has several (b&w) pictures dating from the 1969-72 period, showing units in various Green, Blue and Blue/Grey liveries. One shows a Btn-Vic non-stop approaching Redhill tunnel on the Quarry line in April 1969 with Cig 7311 in lightly worn Blue Grey, an unidentified Big in Green and what looks like a newly-outshopped Cep in B/G at the rear. Another shows a scene of Dorchester station dated September 1969 with TC 423 in lightly-worn B/G on a Weymouth train, and 429 in Blue and an inidentified 4TC in B/G with a 33 at the rear having reversed into the Up platform.

[piranha230]

Did  all the early rail blue veps with the small warning yellow panel have rail blue window frames or did some have the polished window frames?.

[robertcwp]

Did  all the early rail blue veps with the small warning yellow panel have rail blue window frames or did some have the polished window frames?.

Hard to tell for sure but this one looks to have polished frames:

 

4-VEP_7713_Patcham_1969 by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

I had it in mind that only the first ten had blue frames.

[jonny777]

Blue/Grey generally started to appear on the BR(SR) EMUs, in 1969.

 

 

Did you mean to put 1967?  This photo would suggest so - https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevs_trains/1794335510/in/set-72157604661458832

 

Trevor's Flickr pages have some excellent photos of EMUs in many liveries.

[acourtrail]

On 26/11/2011 at 22:08, keefer said:

i think the the original idea was that blue/grey was for mainline loco-hauled stock and multiple-units would be given plain blue?

which quite soon became blue/grey for any mainline/express stock of whatever form, with plain blue for the humdrum 'secondary' stock - REP/TC/VEP/CIG/BIG etc got blue/grey early 70s

 

of course, much later in the 70s, blue/grey became the general livery for all stock, inc. EPBs although not all MU stock received it

 

While all the gangwayed passenger carrying main line loco hauled coaches were meant to be given blue & grey - I have a feeling there may have one or some done in plain blue.

 

I am sure I read somewhere that when the B.R corporate identity was introduced - Eastleigh works saw the order that main line coaches were to be blue & grey and took it to just mean coaches that were to be used on front line (ie Inter - City) trains with all other passenger stock to be done in plain blue.  Supposedly they did at least one main line loco hauled MK1 (and I don't mean a suburban (ie non gangwayed) or a TC conversion) in plain blue before finding out that ALL gangwayed passenger carrying MK1s should be blue & grey.  I have never seen a photo of this alleged plain blue MK1(s) - so I cannot be sure that what I read is true - or if it did exist - weather it ran in service.

[robertcwp]

19 hours ago, acourtrail said:

 

While all the gangwayed passenger carrying main line loco hauled coaches were meant to be given blue & grey - I have a feeling there may have one or some done in plain blue.

 

I am sure I read somewhere that when the B.R corporate identity was introduced - Eastleigh works saw the order that main line coaches were to be blue & grey and took it to just mean coaches that were to be used on front line (ie Inter - City) trains with all other passenger stock to be done in plain blue.  Supposedly they did at least one main line loco hauled MK1 (and I don't mean a suburban (ie non gangwayed) or a TC conversion) in plain blue before finding out that ALL gangwayed passenger carrying MK1s should be blue & grey.  I have never seen a photo of this alleged plain blue MK1(s) - so I cannot be sure that what I read is true - or if it did exist - weather it ran in service.

This subject has been mentioned on other groups. The suggestion was that at least one 3-car set BSK, CK, BSK, used on some Reading-Redhill workings, carried blue livery, but no firm evidence has emerged.

[acourtrail]

5 hours ago, robertcwp said:

This subject has been mentioned on other groups. The suggestion was that at least one 3-car set BSK, CK, BSK, used on some Reading-Redhill workings, carried blue livery, but no firm evidence has emerged.

 

Thank you for that robertcwp.  Out of interest - which groups has this been discussed please (so that I can find out more).

[robertcwp]

7 hours ago, acourtrail said:

 

Thank you for that robertcwp.  Out of interest - which groups has this been discussed please (so that I can find out more).

The old SeMG Yahoo Group if I recall correctly. It was some years back.

[acourtrail]

4 hours ago, robertcwp said:

The old SeMG Yahoo Group if I recall correctly. It was some years back.

 

Thank you.