Locomotive Classes That Received Any Form of BR Blue In Normal Service

[Ian J.]

Using TOPS, I'm putting together a list of locomotives where one or more of the class appeared in any form of BR Standard Blue in normal service before privatisation. So I'm excluding any that have appeared in it in preservation or since privatisation. I am, by implication, excluding any steam locomotives that might have appeared in it (not that I think any did). The list can include both pre-TOPS and TOPS numbering, and also departmental use. I've question marked those I'm not sure about. Shunters should be included, but my knowledge is sketchy some of those.

 

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

17

20

21 (i didn't realize there was one that got into Blue!)

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

31

33

35

37

40

41 (D6xx)

41 (HST Prototype)

42

43 (Warship)

43 (HST)

44

45

46

47

50

52

53

55

56

70 (CC1)

71

73

74

76

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

 

97 (020) (Reading Works Shunter)

97 (650 etc) (R&H 'Permanent Way Machine' shunters)

 

98 (VoR Steam)

 

Any feedback that helps expand the list gratefully accepted.

 

TIA

 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Ian J.

[Bucoops]

I know you say you are excluding steam but the Vale of Rheidol Class 98s were in BR blue before the line was handed over from BR.

 

 

 

 

[Mike_Walker]

Add 04 and 06.  I also think the 05 on the IoW was blue too.  In addition the Reading Signal Works shunter 97020 and at least one of the WR R&H PWMs 97650 got blue.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Mike_Walker
Additional details added.

[pete_mcfarlane]

I would add:

• 04
• 05 (specifically 05.001)
• 06 
• 11

I don't think any class 15s got blue. The class 80 definitely didn't - there are photos of it after withdrawal (parked up on an embankment for some test purposes) still in black. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_80#/media/File:E2001_Ex18100_Parked_at_Akeman_Street_as_a_Weather_Station.jpg

 

Class 99 also got painted blue.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_99_(ships)

 

 

[Bucoops]

I know some 15s got double arrows, but I'm not sure any were painted blue either.

[JeffP]

The exWR pwm shunters got blue iirc

[Halvarras]

Add Classes 10 (D3138/3638/4078),11 & 12 (15211/2).

No Class 15s got blue.

Add Class 21 (D6109).

Classes 23 & 28 confirmed  (D5909 & D5701 respectively).

[Ian J.]

I thought some 15s got blue in departmental service...?

[Andy Kirkham]

might be easier to compile a list of classes that didn't receive blue

[Wickham Green too]

10 minutes ago, Andy Kirkham said:

might be easier to compile a list of classes that didn't receive blue

Good job he's excluding steam !

[John M Upton]

That little industrial shunter, Number 20 (Reading Signal Works?) was BR blue when it was retired if I recall correctly.

[robertcwp]

D6109 in blue - looks at first sight like a 29 because of the headcode but it was a 21 as it retained its MAN engine:

 

D6109_Jun-67 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[MidlandRed]

You need to add class 77 - several received ‘early blue’. 

[russ p]

2 hours ago, Bucoops said:

I know some 15s got double arrows, but I'm not sure any were painted blue either.

 

Unfortunately none got blue, some black and white photos look blue as locos got double arrows and TOPS  style numbers  but were green. Not sure why this happened as younger locos got blue and 15s would have looked good in blue

[russ p]

1 minute ago, MidlandRed said:

You need to add class 77 - several received ‘early blue’. 

 

Think they were electric blue. Triang did a rail blue one that looked very good but unfortunately fictional 

[Ian J.]

Electric blue, early blue, blue that some steam locos got at nationalisation are out of scope. This is about the standard blue that was part of the corporate branding in the late 60s.

[MidlandRed]

56 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Think they were electric blue. Triang did a rail blue one that looked very good but unfortunately fictional 

Not sure about that - were at least some of them not done in 1965/6 along with the early 76 repaints (which were rail blue)? Rail blue appeared initially with the whole of class AL6 (1964/65). 

Edited May 22, 2022 by MidlandRed

[Bucoops]

10 hours ago, Ian J. said:

Electric blue, early blue, blue that some steam locos got at nationalisation are out of scope. This is about the standard blue that was part of the corporate branding in the late 60s.

See Les Ross' 86 for electric blue (or close to it). You did say any form of BR blue and it's blue applied by BR ;)

[Bucoops]

10 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Unfortunately none got blue, some black and white photos look blue as locos got double arrows and TOPS  style numbers  but were green. Not sure why this happened as younger locos got blue and 15s would have looked good in blue

 

I did dip into a few photos before posting and some very washed out green ones do look a bit blue! I guess BR knew they were going to ditch them...

[Mike_Walker]

Be aware that the class 15s that were converted into non-powered train pre-heating units were painted in this strange pale green with the double arrows.  Could be what you found.

 

[russ p]

10 hours ago, MidlandRed said:

Not sure about that - were at least some of them not done in 1965/6 along with the early 76 repaints (which were rail blue)? Rail blue appeared initially with the whole of class AL6 (1964/65). 

 

I've seen pictures of them in blue liveries with and without yellow panels . They do look electric blue but it could be possible some were rail blue as when rail blue doesn't have yellow ends it seem to look different.  Many years ago I was responsible for D5207 getting painted in blue with small yellow panels, it was definitely rail blue but magazines and people kept saying it was chromatic blue!  To be honest I'm not sure chromatic blue actually exists. 

Getting back to the EM2s I'm pretty certain none were ever rail blue with full yellow ends and arrows as per the triang model

[Butler Henderson]

14 hours ago, Bucoops said:

I know you say you are excluding steam but the Vale of Rheidol Class 98s were in BR blue before the line was handed over from BR.

 

 

 

 

They were painted out of rail blue while still in BR operation

[MidlandRed]

37 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

I've seen pictures of them in blue liveries with and without yellow panels . They do look electric blue but it could be possible some were rail blue as when rail blue doesn't have yellow ends it seem to look different.  Many years ago I was responsible for D5207 getting painted in blue with small yellow panels, it was definitely rail blue but magazines and people kept saying it was chromatic blue!  To be honest I'm not sure chromatic blue actually exists. 

Getting back to the EM2s I'm pretty certain none were ever rail blue with full yellow ends and arrows as per the triang model

When I saw class 77 either in store at Bury or Reddish in the autumn of 1969, those in blue had small yellow panels, red buffer beams and, like the class 76 painted blue before 1967, the late British Railways totem. None received fye and British Rail logos. However I don’t recall them looking different from the 76s in blue - electric blue was a noticeably different colour. 
 

I have seen a photo of one in blue with no yellow panel (but remember, some of the first AL6s entered service without a yellow panel - which were added subsequently, and very quickly). 
 

I agree with you regarding chromatic blue - the only difference with early rail blue repaints was the semi matt finish (applied to coaching stock and DMUs also at that time). Another group of locos to receive early rail blue, syp but in this case, no BR logo was the group of Peak class, apparently painted at Toton. These appeared regularly at Birmingham New Street on NE/SW trains in late 1966/1967 and looked good alongside the newly electrified London services, all of the stock for which was rail blue and grey, and where hauled by class 86, as many were, so was the loco. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by MidlandRed

[Bucoops]

3 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

They were painted out of rail blue while still in BR operation

 

Ok, i worded it badly - they were BR blue for a time when owned by BR :)

[Bucoops]

4 hours ago, Mike_Walker said:

Be aware that the class 15s that were converted into non-powered train pre-heating units were painted in this strange pale green with the double arrows.  Could be what you found.

 

 

Sherwood green I think?