UTA Green Locos

[GSWR 90]

Following on from another thread about locos that CIÉ painted green, here’s one about locos that UTA painted green.

Generally when the UTA repainted locos, they painted them black. There were some exceptions – apparently a Jeep, a W, and a U2 painted in experimental apple green, Brunswick green, and olive green

 

This Jeep, No. 5, is apparently painted in “apple green”. You can clearly see that the lining is very bright and the tanks, cab, wheels, and boiler are much brighter than the black smokebox and chimbley

This W, 98, is apparently painted a darker Brunswick green

This BCDR loco, No. 21, is apparently pictured after overhaul in 1953 – it seems to be in kind of an olive green, and to me that doesn’t look like BCDR lining as it’s more white/green than yellow, especially compared to the yellow numbers. An experimental livery…?

Edited Thursday at 18:25 by GSWR 90

[Dunluce Castle]

I think a Jeep modelled in the experimental green livery would be very interesting to see. 
 

This was my model done a few years ago, with U2 class number 80 “Dunseverick Castle”, in dark olive green. 

[jhb171achill]

55 minutes ago, Dunluce Castle said:

This was my model done a few years ago, with U2 class number 80 “Dunseverick Castle”, in dark olive green. 

Great job, Nelson (as always!)

I am not sure whether this loco, in this livery had red connecting rods, though this became a UTA standard with their lined black livery, I'd need to check. But a superb job nonetheless!

6 hours ago, GSWR 90 said:

Following on from another thread about locos that CIÉ painted green, here’s one about locos that UTA painted green.

Generally when the UTA repainted locos, they painted them black. There were some exceptions – apparently a Jeep, a W, and a U2 painted in experimental apple green, Brunswick green, and olive green

This Jeep, No. 5, is apparently painted in “apple green”. You can clearly see that the lining is very bright and the tanks, cab, wheels, and boiler are much brighter than the black smokebox and chimbley

This W, 98, is apparently painted a darker Brunswick green

This BCDR loco, No. 21, is apparently pictured after overhaul in 1953 – it seems to be in kind of an olive green, and to me that doesn’t look like BCDR lining as it’s more white/green than yellow, especially compared to the yellow numbers. An experimental livery…?

That's BCDR green. The green carried by 30 in Cultra is co9mpletely wrong - it should look this colour. I think the lining was cream or pale yellow. It's still in BCDR livery, but has a new UTA plate. It nis possible, or even loikely, that the UTA's experimental dark shade was something broadlky similar to this, though the picture here shows it looking more "olivey" than it was.

 

Edited Friday at 00:01 by jhb171achill

[Tullygrainey]

It's often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So is colour I would say. I've had surgery to one eye (to fix a macular hole) with the result that I have slightly different colour vision in each eye. The operated eye sees things cooler than the other one. So where does that leave me when it comes to assessing colour?  

[jhb171achill]

On 5/12/2025 at 11:23 AM, Tullygrainey said:

It's often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So is colour I would say. I've had surgery to one eye (to fix a macular hole) with the result that I have slightly different colour vision in each eye. The operated eye sees things cooler than the other one. So where does that leave me when it comes to assessing colour?  

Not being funny it is probably best - if genuine accuracy is required - to engage the advice of a college with good colour memory… 

[Westcorkrailway]

I had no idea the UTA tried Green on there locomotives. The Lined black is smart, but I’m sure the Green would have been nice too. Shame no colour photos seem to survive? 

[jhb171achill]

13 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

I had no idea the UTA tried Green on there locomotives. The Lined black is smart, but I’m sure the Green would have been nice too. Shame no colour photos seem to survive? 

There is a photo of tjhe W class, I think in the likes of the Colour-Rail archive. The colour rendition, due to time, is very poor, so not to be relied on for colour matching, but it gives an idea. I have a notion theres one of the 4.4.0 too, but not the Jeep (that I am aware of).

[Galteemore]

8 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

There is a photo of tjhe W class, I think in the likes of the Colour-Rail archive. The colour rendition, due to time, is very poor, so not to be relied on for colour matching, but it gives an idea. I have a notion theres one of the 4.4.0 too, but not the Jeep (that I am aware of).

IIRC they found traces of green when rebuilding 4 - think was on a wheel off another WT. I also have a dim idea that Mac Arnold had suggested painting 4 maroon in the 70s to keep the NCC glory alive! We’d be horrified at such a notion now but have to remember Mac’s generation had seen two decades of steam becoming increasingly dowdy. A number of GB groups also presented weird and wonderful liveries around this time …..anyone remember the Caledonian blue Fairbairn tank ?

[Mol_PMB]

1 minute ago, Galteemore said:

IIRC they found traces of green when rebuilding 4 - think was on a wheel off another WT. I also have a dim idea that Mac Arnold had suggested painting 4 maroon in the 70s to keep the NCC glory alive! We’d be horrified at such a notion now but have to remember Mac’s generation had seen two decades of steam becoming increasingly dowdy. A number of GB groups also presented weird and wonderful liveries around this time …..anyone remember the Caledonian blue Fairbairn tank ?

Imagine number 4 like that but a slightly lighter shade of blue and different letters on the side. Doubt it would go down well at Whitehead though... 

[Westcorkrailway]

5 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

IIRC they found traces of green when rebuilding 4 - think was on a wheel off another WT. I also have a dim idea that Mac Arnold had suggested painting 4 maroon in the 70s to keep the NCC glory alive! We’d be horrified at such a notion now but have to remember Mac’s generation had seen two decades of steam becoming increasingly dowdy. A number of GB groups also presented weird and wonderful liveries around this time …..anyone remember the Caledonian blue Fairbairn tank ?

There are purists that would still be angry. But I think this generation is more forgiving of funky livery stuff. Look at all those fictional livery models coming out soon

like personally I loved 184 in CIE green, would love to see the Jeep in this experimental apple green NCC or 131 in GNR green. 

[Mol_PMB]

184 seems to have had numerous paint jobs in green, I think these are mostly in chronological order...

(photos from IRRS, Roger Joanes, Ernie, Jonathan Allen and hgricer, all linked from Flickr)

CJG_GSWR_184_Goresbridge_9_July_1960 | [Photographer: Chris … | Flickr

JPS_GSWR_184_Broadstone_18_Sept_1960 (4) | [Photographer: Jo… | Flickr

PoB_GSWR_184_Inchicore_l1960s | [Photographer: Paddy O’Brien… | Flickr

 

[Galteemore]

24 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

184 seems to have had numerous paint jobs in green, I think these are mostly in chronological order...

(photos from IRRS, Roger Joanes, Ernie, Jonathan Allen and hgricer, all linked from Flickr)

CJG_GSWR_184_Goresbridge_9_July_1960 | [Photographer: Chris … | Flickr

JPS_GSWR_184_Broadstone_18_Sept_1960 (4) | [Photographer: Jo… | Flickr

PoB_GSWR_184_Inchicore_l1960s | [Photographer: Paddy O’Brien… | Flickr

 

Three and four were movie contracts. The last one was painted in the style Drew Donaldson adopted for all of his locos! The turntable pic is Bray in pre Dart days. I think that’s the remnants of the ‘First Great Train Robbery’ stock in the background. This lingered on a siding at Bray until swept away by DART works c1981.

Edited 16 hours ago by Galteemore

[cheesy_peas]

Was the first CIE/pre RPSI iteration of 184 in lined green with cast numberplate an early example of painting a loco in "heritage livery" before that phrase was coined?

I note that 90 was similarly treated around the same time, prior to being sited at Fermoy, afterwards "stuffed and mounted" at Mallow.

Edited 15 hours ago by cheesy_peas

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, cheesy_peas said:

Was the first CIE/pre RPSI iteration of 184 in lined green with cast numberplate an early example of painting a loco in "heritage livery" before that phrase was coined?

I note that 90 was similarly treated around the same time, prior to being sited at Fermoy, afterwards "stuffed and mounted" at Mallow.

Yes, it was, by CIE; only they got the shade of green entirely wrong…..!

In its current form, 184 has only one authentic livery other than this short-lived one - plain grey.