I've recently gone and got myself a second hand set of the Dapol B-Set coaches in N. Its the original release numbered 6873 and 6872. As I understand from online sources 6873 and 6874 would be an appropriate pair of E147 B Set coaches, 6872 is down as E125 diagram coach from a 4 vehicle formation. But that's by the by rather, its N, those running numbers are barely legible without getting them in your face.
I'm planning on doing a tiny shelf layout of some GWR riverside branch scene and I'm trying to get the right liveries to go together. The digging I've done makes me think that GWR Shirtbutton, with Third written on the doors and with a dark grey roof would make this particular paint scheme a mid-WWII application. I've come to that conclusion by mixing that it appears to be 1938 being when Third was added to doors and the grey roof being a wartime decision. The only reference I can find to the roof is that 1941(ish) white roofs got painted grey to make them less visible, but I cant see if that was the only situation where the GWR had a grey roof. If I wanted it to be very much pre-war would I need a white roof?
If the grey roof does date it as a wartime livery which of the GWR liveries would be correct for the loco? I'm looking at running this with the upcoming run of Dapol Panniers. Would the Great Western full word livery still have been floating about on tank engines in the late 1930s early 1940s? My understanding is the G W R livery was a 1942 introduction, is that right?
This all feels a bit overly in depth but I just want it to be right.