Great Central Green

[ALANP]

Hello,

 

I'm in the process of building a Great Central 9K 4-4-2 Tank and at the point that I can paint it, in GCR Green and Red, however I've had trouble in finding the correct Green paint, I've had a search for a reference to the correct green on here, but all I can find is 'Great Central Brunswick Green', so the question is, is this the same as BR Brunswick Green or is it a different shade? If so, where can I find it?

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Alan

[James Harrison]

Precision Paints do Great Central green, you can buy it on Ebay (for a price!).  I took a punt on the Humbrol acrylic Brunswick Green for one of my locos, I've not tried it yet but it is the same hue as on the Bachmann Butler Henderson so should be right, if that helps. 

[t-b-g]

Great Central Green and Great Central Brunswick Green are one and the same. There were some slightly different greens used in earlier days but the only one that has been produced commercially is the Brunswick Green.

 

Good luck with the livery and I hope we get to see whatever is painted in it!

 

Tony

[DaveF]

It may cost you in the courier delivery charges but GCR green is still listed by Phoenix Precision Paints:

 

at::

 

 http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/precision-paints/railway-colours/colours-for-the-pre-grouping-companies-pre-1923/great-central-railway.html

 

as is GCR valance red.

 

You would also find that SECR green in their range is not all that different, especially in artificial light (to my eyes).

 

By the way, my grandfather would could remember GCR locos at Loughborough once told me that GCR locos were not all the same shade - presumably it weathered over time.

 

David

 

Edit - I must type faster in future - others got there before me!

David

[coachmann]

As has been said, PPC GCR Brunswick Green is as close as one is going to get. J.T.Keeps mixed my cellulose to a colour swab back in the late 1960s and it was found to be very close to Precisions shade as makes no difference. I was commisioned to paint a good many GCR locos over the years and I think most all the classes were covered. Insgnia had to be hand done but someone produces transfers now, or at least did in the 1990s. I've attached this photo seeing as folk like to look at locos and the A5 4-6-2T happens to have appeared on wish-lists several times. This model has maroon frames and white lining, not red lining as generally found on tender locos....

 

[great central]

I seem to recall that it was mentioned some years ago that BR DMU green is very close to GCR green, I had asked in connection with the 'Sam Fay' I was building at the time.

We should remember that paint was mixed at the time of use according to a specification, but variations could occur due to humidity and suchlike. Even relatively recently I was told that car paints can still be affected by the weather, metallics especially and matching them is a devil of a job.

[John Tomlinson]

I seem to recall that it was mentioned some years ago that BR DMU green is very close to GCR green, I had asked in connection with the 'Sam Fay' I was building at the time.

We should remember that paint was mixed at the time of use according to a specification, but variations could occur due to humidity and suchlike. Even relatively recently I was told that car paints can still be affected by the weather, metallics especially and matching them is a devil of a job.

Having used the Precision GC green some years ago, I would concur with this. Compared to BR Brunswick green, the GC version struck me as being a bit lighter and less blue, or at least that's how the Precision shade came out. 

[t-b-g]

There is a cracking good book that has just come out covering GCR liveries, by John Quick. I know how much research and time has gone into it.

 

His conclusion is the same as has already been mentioned, that they may have all been painted the same colour (near enough) when out of shops but that the green weathered and faded so that you soon reached a stage where you could look at 5 green locos on shed and they all looked to be different colours.

 

GREAT "Crest" CENTRAL transfers are available from Steam and Things in Australia and after a long wait it seems that the HMSR are now making progress with GCR transfers, so things are looking up for us GCR enthusiasts.

 

That A5......... Gorgeous!!!

 

Tony 

[coachmann]

I am pretty sure 'Methfix' transfers were available before I wound up the painting & lning business, as I wouldnt have taken on a commision of painting around 17 GCR locos of all descriptions 2002 or 2003. I managed to fit in all the various variations on GCR livery including the 1917 variant of all green on some big 4-6-0s as on smaller passenger tanks. Whether this was cost-cutting during WW1 or unavailability of the lake I don't know.

[t-b-g]

Not the best quality photos but more snaps taken on the first outing of my GCR layout, this shows some locos painted by my good friend, the late Malcolm Crawley, using GCR green paint as sold by "Cherry", which is, I believe, the one now in the "Precision Paints" range.

 

 

[45609]

As someone mentioned "Sir Sam Fay"  above here are a few photos of a model I built on commission a few years ago.  It has appeared on an old incarnation of RMWeb so apologies to those who have seen it before.

 

The main livery has been painted with Phoenix Precision GCR Loco Green and Loco Valance Red (sometimes referred to as Claret).  The tender lettering is from Steam and Things, the GCR crests are by Fox Transfers and the name/number plate is from Guilplates.

[great central]

As someone mentioned "Sir Sam Fay"  above here are a few photos of a model I built on commission a few years ago.  It has appeared on an old incarnation of RMWeb so apologies to those who have seen it before.

 

The main livery has been painted with Phoenix Precision GCR Loco Green and Loco Valance Red (sometimes referred to as Claret).  The tender lettering is from Steam and Things, the GCR crests are by Fox Transfers and the name/number plate is from Guilplates.

 

That's very nice (can't find a drooling smiley!). Mine's from a K's kit and still in primer It was a diversion from my normal BR livery stuff because I picked the kit up (very) cheap. Then moved onto DC electrics so it's still waiting in it's box.

[t-b-g]

As someone mentioned "Sir Sam Fay"  above here are a few photos of a model I built on commission a few years ago.  It has appeared on an old incarnation of RMWeb so apologies to those who have seen it before.

 

The main livery has been painted with Phoenix Precision GCR Loco Green and Loco Valance Red (sometimes referred to as Claret).  The tender lettering is from Steam and Things, the GCR crests are by Fox Transfers and the name/number plate is from Guilplates.

 

Simply gorgeous! The full GCR livery has to be one of the very best ever applied to a steam loco and on a lovely model like that you really get the full "wow" factor.

 

Tony

[ALANP]

Hi chaps,

 

Your advice and, in particular, the fantastic models have helped enormously. After Christmas I will get out and about and get some paint!

Merry Christmas!

 

Alan

[micklner]

Cracking model Morgan

[James Harrison]

That's it.... at least one of my locos this (next) year will get the full GCR treatment.  Santa left John Quick's book on GCR loco liveries in my stocking this morning

[corneliuslundie]

I was told some time ago that Rhymney Railway green is almost the same or possibly even identical to GCR green - as is often the case someone (probably Cornelius Lundie) moved from the MS&L as it then was to the Rhymney and took the colour with him. I can't now remember the source of the information but was a "hitherto reliable source". If you can't get hold of the Precision GCR colour the RR coloiur, also by Precision, may be an option.

[coachmann]

I was daft enough to carry out experiments some years ago to try out on visiters, which involved painting & lining locos in the 'wrong' greens. It was wasteful 'cos I stripped them afterwards and did them correctly.  I sprayed a SR loco in BR green with SR white lining and a BR loco in SR green with orange lining. In both cases no one said they were incorrect. The colour of lining and lettering makes all the difference to the appearance of a base colour, for instance, pale cream and black 1928 lining on a 'Royal Scot' makes the crimson lake look brighter than a 'Scot' with 1937 yellow and black lining. I showed this to David Jenkinson and he wondered if this was the reason why commentators thought the lake had darkenned in later LMS days. GCR green was said by Ernest Carter to be very dark and that it looked better on a small scale model if lightened. I must say I didn't think the preserved D11/1 looked particularly dark when I viewed it in 1962, and it is possible model paint manufacturers copied this green. One hopes of course that they had a genuine GCR panel at their disposal.