The GSWR painted most wagons, most of the time, plain black all over, sometimes an extremely dark grey, darker than locomotives and almost black.
Prior to about 1890, at a guess, some stock was seen brand new with what appears to be varnished wood with (very unusually for Ireland) black ironwork.
After about 1915, a more "normal" wagon grey was used. In all cases, lettering was white.
The MGWR used plain grey throughout, with white lettering. This was the norm with almost all companies.
Both the GNR and UTA, while normally following the above, appear to gave started painting fitted wagons brown (a lighter shade than CIE) in the mid or late 50s. CIE was all grey until the H vans and "palvans" appeared. They were in a lighter grey. CIE's brown only appeared about 1970.
Going back to pre 1925, narrow gauge companies were all grey, though up to the early 1930s the CDRJC used all-black.
For modellers, it's easy to default to grey everywhere, but there are a few exceptions as seen. The main areas to watch, if striving for accuracy, would be -
- is your model of a fitted wagon or not? If so, and if UTA it GNR, what year is it based?
- don't pick livery details up from almost anything preserved; wrongness is the norm there, unfortunately!
- be award that in old photos, especially black and white, rusting ironwork can look darker or even black, and filthy chassis can also look darker. Wagons were rarely well cared for cosmetically.
- related to above, heavy weathering (very especially on UTA) is the norm; pristine goods stock was so rare it almost looks unrealistic. In particular, a whole rake of identical wagons was in itself almost unknown, but an identical rake all clean......no!
- don't do the "Hornby thing"; black chassis for everything. Very few wagons in Ireland had a black chassis and coloured body - NCC brown vans bring a rare exception.
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jhb171achill
The GSWR painted most wagons, most of the time, plain black all over, sometimes an extremely dark grey, darker than locomotives and almost black.
Prior to about 1890, at a guess, some stock was seen brand new with what appears to be varnished wood with (very unusually for Ireland) black ironwork.
After about 1915, a more "normal" wagon grey was used. In all cases, lettering was white.
The MGWR used plain grey throughout, with white lettering. This was the norm with almost all companies.
Both the GNR and UTA, while normally following the above, appear to gave started painting fitted wagons brown (a lighter shade than CIE) in the mid or late 50s. CIE was all grey until the H vans and "palvans" appeared. They were in a lighter grey. CIE's brown only appeared about 1970.
Going back to pre 1925, narrow gauge companies were all grey, though up to the early 1930s the CDRJC used all-black.
For modellers, it's easy to default to grey everywhere, but there are a few exceptions as seen. The main areas to watch, if striving for accuracy, would be -
- is your model of a fitted wagon or not? If so, and if UTA it GNR, what year is it based?
- don't pick livery details up from almost anything preserved; wrongness is the norm there, unfortunately!
- be award that in old photos, especially black and white, rusting ironwork can look darker or even black, and filthy chassis can also look darker. Wagons were rarely well cared for cosmetically.
- related to above, heavy weathering (very especially on UTA) is the norm; pristine goods stock was so rare it almost looks unrealistic. In particular, a whole rake of identical wagons was in itself almost unknown, but an identical rake all clean......no!
- don't do the "Hornby thing"; black chassis for everything. Very few wagons in Ireland had a black chassis and coloured body - NCC brown vans bring a rare exception.
Hope this is helpful.
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