Bullied "Golden Arrow"

[c2c]

Currently I am rebuilding a Grafar "Golden Arrow" using a later chassis. Originally this model was produced with malachite green wheels, although I should keep this model as near to the original Grafar production as possible, I feel the wheels some how don't look right in this colour and should be black.

What I would like to know did the real Golden Arrow ever have its wheels painted in green?

 

 

[plasticbasher]

Hiya c2c,

 

Golden Arrow was a train, not an engine.  It was one of the more prestigious expresses of the time.

 

A number of engines (including several Bullied pacifics) were used to pull it.  When they did, they were embelished with the Golden Arrow insignia on the loco sides and the smokebox door.

 

As to the question about the green wheels; there was a period (immediately after the end of World War 2) when the Southern Railway painted the wheels of at least some of their Bullied pacifics green.

 

What you need to do is:

 

1. Decide which of the two types of Bullied pacific you are modelling:

• The slightly larger, more powerful Merchant Navy class or the much more numerous and almost as powerful Battle of Britain/West Country class.
• I think the Grafar model is not totally accurate for either class, but may be corrected shortly!
• From a distance it is quite tricky to tell a Merchant Navy from a West Country/Battle of Britain.
• There were differences however...particularly their sheer size.
• However there were actually more obvious visual differences between an early Merchant Navy (built 1941) and a late Merchant Navy (built 1948).

 

2. Decide on a particular engine you wish to model (presumably one that was rostered to pull the Golden Arrow in your chosen year).

 

3. Do some googling to find out if it's wheels were black or green.

 

Hope that info (although very "high-level") gets you started?

 

plasticbasher

[Graham_Muz]

The Grafar 00 model was released as a Merchant Navy pacific and when in malachite green livery they would have also had malachite green wheels. As per below (a Millholme white metal kit):

 

The West Country and Battle of Britain Light Pacifics when in malachite Green livery all had black wheels:

 

With the exception of 34090 "Sir Eustace Missenden" named afeter the SR Chairman (whoose wheels were green with a yellow line, under my weathering)

 

It should be noted that the Grafar model is a bit of a mix comprising a second / third series locomotive body with what appears to be a first series style tender it also has the later modified cab arrangement which limits the locomotives that it can represent that had that cab arrangement whilst still in malachite green.

[c2c]

Hiya c2c,

 

Golden Arrow was a train, not an engine.  It was one of the more prestigious expresses of the time.

 

Hi Plasticbasher I was aware of this hense why my title had "Bullied" before Golden Arrow, as Brits, 71's 73's & 74's etc. have also pulled this train over the years.

 

As I have said its an old Farish RTR loco I'm restoring made in1964. The original chassis was mainly plastic which over time deteriorated and became brittle thus breaking in key attaching points, making the gears slip.

 

I've now picked up a later metal chassis that I've overhauled and is ready to fit to the body, but before I do I was undecided what colours the wheels should be as the original Farish model had them in malachite green.

 

After much googling it would seem most bullied merchant navy's and pacifics had black wheels, I didn't come across any real life images with them in green or likewise other colours!

 

But to be honest m8 I am more of a modeler than a rivett counter, hense why I felt the need to ask my question as I would like to retain some sort of accuracy even though the original model detail itself isn't that great! And although the wheels will look good in green, it wouldn't be a problem if they remained black which is the colour they are at present on the chassis I am fitting.

 

Many thanks for your input though

DaveH

[c2c]

The Grafar 00 model was released as a Merchant Navy pacific and when in malachite green livery they would have also had malachite green wheels. As per below (a Millholme white metal kit):

35023_1.jpg

 

Hi Graham, many thanks for posting those images, I have to say that the Millhome kit is a very close resemblance to the N-Gauge model I am working on, in fact I had to take a second look!

 

That image has helped me make my mind up, they do look good with green wheels though don't they!

 

Cheers

DaveH