NCC Coaches that Survived into the UTA Years?

[Auto-Train Original]

Hi all, I will be embarking on painting a rake of NCC coaches that I know operated into the UTA era. I would like to paint them into the early UTA livery and does anyone have any information pertaining to this this. Also did any of the NCC Maroon coaches operate into the UTA era or were all repainted as soon as UTA took over?

Thanks in advance

Edited September 13, 2024 by Auto-Train Original

[jhb171achill]

Hi Auto-Train

The shade of green used by the UTA on railway carriages never varied from 1949 to 1967, when maroon and grey started replacing it fully.

It was a very dark brunswick green - not sure of RAL number but someone else here might have the actual code.

On loco-hauled stock, but not railcars, there was a mid-waist line an inch thick, a beige colour (not the oft-seen-on-models yellow). It was thinly lined in red either side.

The UTA "red hand" / "roundel" device was placed as close to the middle as possible. It was somewhat smaller in size than available transfers seem to be.

Initially, coach numbers were placed within a circle of the same beige, at window level - i.e. the numbers shown were between window panes where suitable, usually close to the end of the vehicle. After the late 1950s, the vehicle number tended to be just below waistline and without the circular surround, and from about 1961 the full UTA coat of arms started replacing the roundel, which actually disappeared from use pretty quickly.

The last rolling stock still in the old NCC maroon were repainted green in the early 1950s. Repainting was pretty speedy as things go, but no livery change of any fleet is ever achieved in absolute terms, overnight. So if your layout is based in a period of, say, 1949-53, expect an occasional maroon vehicle still with NCC markings, but not after that.

Unlike CIE coaching stock, all of which had black roofs, the UTA used a lightish grey as a roof colour, though it darkened pretty quickly when in use. The NCC roof colour was a somewhat darker grey. The UTA painted coach ends black. Untilo the outbreak of WW2, the NCC appear to have (mostly in any case) painted coach ends plain maroon, but it seems that at least some stock repainted in the mid and late 40s had black ends, and if secondary stock had no lining.

[Auto-Train Original]

2 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Hi Auto-Train

The shade of green used by the UTA on railway carriages never varied from 1949 to 1967, when maroon and grey started replacing it fully.

It was a very dark brunswick green - not sure of RAL number but someone else here might have the actual code.

On loco-hauled stock, but not railcars, there was a mid-waist line an inch thick, a beige colour (not the oft-seen-on-models yellow). It was thinly lined in red either side.

The UTA "red hand" / "roundel" device was placed as close to the middle as possible. It was somewhat smaller in size than available transfers seem to be.

Initially, coach numbers were placed within a circle of the same beige, at window level - i.e. the numbers shown were between window panes where suitable, usually close to the end of the vehicle. After the late 1950s, the vehicle number tended to be just below waistline and without the circular surround, and from about 1961 the full UTA coat of arms started replacing the roundel, which actually disappeared from use pretty quickly.

The last rolling stock still in the old NCC maroon were repainted green in the early 1950s. Repainting was pretty speedy as things go, but no livery change of any fleet is ever achieved in absolute terms, overnight. So if your layout is based in a period of, say, 1949-53, expect an occasional maroon vehicle still with NCC markings, but not after that.

Unlike CIE coaching stock, all of which had black roofs, the UTA used a lightish grey as a roof colour, though it darkened pretty quickly when in use. The NCC roof colour was a somewhat darker grey. The UTA painted coach ends black. Untilo the outbreak of WW2, the NCC appear to have (mostly in any case) painted coach ends plain maroon, but it seems that at least some stock repainted in the mid and late 40s had black ends, and if secondary stock had no lining.

Fantastic and thanks. Especially regarding the roof colour being grey and not black.