Why did some steam locos used in Royal trains have white roofs?

[daftbovine]

This has always puzzled me. Why did some steam locos used for Royal trains have their cab roofs painted white?

 

Was it a case of because they could or was there a practical reason. I thought it might be for security reasons so the train would be more visible from the air but that is a big guess.

 

Regards

 

Veronica.

[LMS2968]

I think it was only the Great Eastern Railway and its successors which did this, purely for aesthetic reasons. I seem the recall that a Norwich or Stratford Britannia had the treatment well into BR days. 

[Fat Controller]

I think it was only the Great Eastern Railway and its successors which did this, purely for aesthetic reasons. I seem the recall that a Norwich or Stratford Britannia had the treatment well into BR days. 

Stratford seemed fond of white or silver roofs; they painted some Brush Type 4s with them for the Silver Jubilee.

[EddieB]

Not definitive, but I'd suggest that it was to show off the locomotive at its smartest and highlight its cleanliness.

 

A white cab roof was applied as part of the standard Great Eastern passenger locomotive livery (dark blue, lined in red and black) during an age when nearly every railway company invested in large numbers of  cleaners to present the best possible corporate image, long before aerial tracking had ever been dreamt of.  (If the NRM is to be believed, the underside of the cab roofs were painted lemon yellow).

 

The effect would not have gone unnoticed - Edward 7th in particular took great interest in what was pulling his train.  (Not intended to sound like a euphemism!)

 

(While typing I note LMS2968 has made a similar comment regarding the GER).

[Nick Holliday]

The LBSCR was quite keen on bulling up their locos for Royal Occasions, with a white cab roof along with an elaborate headboard and even bunting.  The coal in the tender was, at least on one occasion, covered with a white sheet, or sometimes white-washed for the same effect.  I don't think they had spotter planes for security in those days!

[billbedford]

The GER locos had canvas covered wooden roofs, similar in construction to coaches and van roofs. When the locos were ex-works all the roofs would have been white. 

[trisonic]

I may be wrong but I seem to recall that the GER tradition started with the wedding of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII?) when they painted the whole loco white with a flower design detail upon hauling him and his Wife, after they were married, to Sandringham House.

If I remember “Back Track” had an illustration and a short article on this subject a couple of years ago...

 

Best, Pete.