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Pre 1923 GWR livery


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I'm currently trying to work out how to identify pre and post 1923 GWR livery. As the GWR was the only compnay to survive the grouping by absorbing other companies rather than being amalgamated into a new company, I have less clear cut idea of what marks out the pre 1923 liveries on the Great Western and wonder if anyone can help? I'm interested in getting one of Hornby's 42xx tanks, but want to try and get one in a livery suitable for pre grouping. Is there any hard and fast rule? I presume that there wasn't as much impetus for the GWR to repaint out older liveries as there was for the other three of the big four?

 

Thanks in advance.

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When first built between 1910-14, 4201-4241 would have been in lined green with GREAT <garter crest> WESTERN on their side tanks. 4242-4261 were built during WW1 in 1916-17 It is possible that they may have carried a plain muddy green or khaki with no lining, though none are recorded as such. 4262-4299, 4200 and 5200-5204 were built 1919-1923 after the 1917 decision to return to something like the pre-war livery, though without lining and with the safety valve bonnets painted green. Lettering would have been GREAT WESTERN without the crest. Subsequent builds and repaints would have been similar, though from 1923 express passenger engines were lined and given polished bonnets and other brightwork.

 

However, the livery is the least of your worries if you want to backdate a Hornby 42XX, Bunker size changed several times between 1910 and 1919. Only 4262 onwards were built with the full length bunker, others were extended beteen 1919-1925. The sliding cab shutters were only fitted from about 1931, the bunker recess around the top lamp were only slowly fitted throughout the thirties and forties, and tall safety valve bonnets were the norm until about 1930. Other later minor changes include the bunker hand rails on the driver side and the hand rails on the front tank strap, the latter not appearing until WW2.

 

(I've probably left something out, but all details can be found in here and here.

 

Nick

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862

AFAIK the differences pre and post grouping in GWR livery affected mainly the rolling stock. Wagons received the smaller 16" lettering and NCU plates where appropriate (from 1920) and the coaches reverted to chocolate and cream from the 1912 crimson livery (from 1922).

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