Bell container colours

[Robert Shrives]

Hi 

I bought 4 unpainted 40 foot boxes from Arran at C rail the other week  and Bell transfers from SSM 

For painting I have found that the Bell magenta is a good match to P297 Precision paints First group Magenta (dull)

The blue I used P140 BR electric blue and this matches very well to the 20 foot container to my eye 

The roof is P151 BR rail grey.

Pictures to follow when all dry and masking removed.  

The door gear seems to have started magneta as well but also just plain galvansied grey/silver so will do two in each .

The blind end and door end and sides to 10 ribs in Magenta, checking several on line phots. 

When transfers land I will do a final pic.  

Hope this helps somebody else in time

Robert      

[Robert Shrives]

Having got masking off they might be a shade light compared to the 20 foot I have but  look ok all the same and I blame some time in a sunny climate has faded them !  

[Robert Shrives]

A couple of views: side view ,then top down of one and a comparison . I have added 20grammes of sticky wheel weights to the floors ready to refit once transfers are applied.

 

 

[Arran]

HI All

The colours i use for BELL are all pantone for bells , something that i scraped and cleaned bits on a 20ft at Leith docks.

 

Although faded the true colours are underneath 

 

Regards Arran

 

[Robert Shrives]

Hi,  I am certain Arran you got the right colours  but I was trying from my large stash of tinlets to get close, perhaps not close enough on the blue but masking was such a faff I think they will stay.  I look forward to more 40 fts from C Rail stable in time - meanwhile this does for me and can always get used as scenic land fillers.   

Thanks for great pic - weathering really useful  and a good find of the box. 

happy modelling 

Robert    

[jhb171achill]

The roofs..... originally all the same dark blue as on sides, but gradually they became white. When grubby, obviously it would not be pristine white. If you’re modelling 1970s, dark blue.

While I’m no expert on containers, I’m unaware of them ever being grey-topped; perhaps someone else might know?

[Robert Shrives]

  JHB, If I may  thread from BC  shows Bell in White/ light grey  but also a one in blue on the same  wagon so anything goes !  Have to say not so sure about the quality of the walkway on the Tanktainer - I suspect I can model that very easily ! 

Robert    

[Arran]

A grey roofed one 

 

[Robert Shrives]

A very shiny ex-works one as well, the ones behind await the spray booth.  What date Arran? 

Robert 

[Irishswissernie]

I came across this one today whilst sorting out some Swiss negatives. Rather faded or possibly lighter paint on the Container

end. Some 6 years after Bell Lines folded.

EDIT Another one at Goschenen 26 May 1988 20 foot containers , white roofs but possibly one grey or just dirty.

Edited October 14, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[DJ Dangerous]

To be honest, the rooves in Arran and Ernie's photos look more like a faded Bell blue to me, than an actual grey.

[jhb171achill]

16 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

To be honest, the rooves in Arran and Ernie's photos look more like a faded Bell blue to me, than an actual grey.

Correct, that’s what it would be. When at sea, salt spray would wear away at it.

Or - grubbied white.

Edited October 14, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Robert Shrives]

Interesting input by all, thanks . I will be adding transfers and then some rust colour so the rail grey will be grubby, but not for a few weeks anyway as off air for a while. 

I look forward to "tuning in" in a couple of weeks .

Robert     

[jhb171achill]

20 hours ago, Robert Shrives said:

  JHB, If I may  thread from BC  shows Bell in White/ light grey  but also a one in blue on the same  wagon so anything goes !  Have to say not so sure about the quality of the walkway on the Tanktainer - I suspect I can model that very easily ! 

Robert    

I’ve no idea about the “tank-tainers”, Robert.....just the ordinary ones. Yes, you’d get white and dark blue at one stage on roofs, both weathered of course, but not grey painted. Originally all blue, then white gradually replacing them, thus a mixture of the two as you suggest.

[DJ Dangerous]

I think that the most important question is:

"Rooves" or "roofs"?

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

I think that the most important question is:

"Rooves" or "roofs"?

“Horizontal sides”?

[burnthebox]

Hi guys, here’s something that might help display colours or not,

BTB

PS Take note of the container on the back roofs colour 

[murphaph]

@Arran do you have any plans to produce the 40' Bells again any time soon? 

[dave182]

Hey All. I spotted this variation of a BELL container as part of a bigger poster here at a trade fair today, so obviously the image isn't the best. But it is 'BELL EXPRESS', a varient I have never seen before. I believe the location is Rotterdam.

[popeye]

On 15/10/2020 at 1:49 PM, burnthebox said:

Hi guys, here’s something that might help display colours or not,

BTB

PS Take note of the container on the back roofs colour 

I see 40ft Bell Refer on this ship. 

[Arran]

HI All

 

Well some food for thought in this little lot.

 

Is the the Netherlands ?

 

Regards Arran

 

 

[popeye]

Somebody liked BELL containers.

I think that covers everything.

[Mol_PMB]

8 hours ago, Arran said:

HI All

 

Well some food for thought in this little lot.

 

Is the the Netherlands ?

 

Regards Arran

 

 

I've only watched the first few minutes and already seen some excellent container photos, particularly the early 'silver' (unpainted alloy) Bells. For example, from around 4:55 there are some good shots of the flush-sided type which I represented with a simple repaint of one of your boxes, top left here:

In the early days of Bell, there were several subsidiaries including Bell Ferry and Bell Lines, and some of the early containers were lettered as such. I chose a Bell Ferry example that I found a photo of in Ireland; some of the photos in that youtube link show the Bell Lines equivalent.

 

Nice to see some good photos of some of the sheet and post alloy types used by Bell in the early days too.

Most of the images do seem to be in the Netherlands.

[Mol_PMB]

Watching this over lunch, a few more observations:

9:57: one of the early flush-sided boxes painted in the later blue and petunia livery (that's tempting to model!)

12:13: nice view of two different types of early alloy container, followed by a few more views of the sheet and post type. Note that initially they had non-ISO-compliant numbering.

13:33: a nice clean view of alloy containers with later ISO numbering. These are leased containers in BELL livery - note the ICS logo top right.

13:54: one of the ribbed boxes in simplified all-over-petunia livery.

15:08: the second container has a flush end but sheet-and-post sides. The lettering is on a separate panel fixed over the posts.

15:27: Bell Bulk 30' boxes, showing both ends.

19:27: the interior of the doors is painted petunia. Maybe on some containers the whole interior was?

20:37: very widely spaced ribs on the side of this 40-footer. (another at 22:40)

22:00: crane driver seems to have dropped the container on the cab of his own crane. Ouch!

24:30: a long series of photos of normal Bell containers being used for bulk traffic, being emptied by tipping. Includes some proper Bell Bulk containers too. Some of these images show good roof views.

26:40: sequence of insulated / refrigerated 40-footers of various types. Many of these are extra-wide.

27:29: combined Bell and Kerrygold branding

28:50: Bell tanktainers - a variety of BELU-registered examples.

 

I'll look through the second half later - I'd better get back to work now!

 

[Mol_PMB]

Second half perhaps not as interesting as the first, lots of fairly standard 40' boxes interspersed with some others that I think appeared earlier in the slideshow! 

Here are a few of the more notable examples:

36:04 and 41:09 to 41:24, 42:45, 51:15: Bell Express branding on over-length boxes (45'? 48'?)

36:45 and 39:06: 40' boxes with a blue roof

40:18: nice view of a pair of 20' boxes showing the door end lettering. Not the same on the two shown.

40:29: another layout of door end lettering on a 20' box

41:24 and 41:51, 42:05: over-length boxes without 'Express' branding

41:32: plain petunia 20' box, INTU coded. I did note that some boxes in full Bell livery also have INTU codes rather then BELU e.g. at 49:05. Leased? or did Bell have multiple codes?

44:32: a BELU coded container that appears to be blue all over - it certainly has a blue end.

46:37 and 51:10: unusual type of door on a 40' box, with most of the locking bar arrangement boxed in.

48:55 leased tank with Bell branding

49:51: 40' box with unequally spaced ribs on the sides - looks very odd! 

52:25: over-length box with Bell Express branding, door end shown but it has an odd replacement door.

54:54: Bell Bulk 30' being tipped

 

I'm all belled out now. I do have a couple of ideas for more models though. Hopefully Arran does too!

[commerlad]

19 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

22:00: crane driver seems to have dropped the container on the cab of his own crane. Ouch!

One hopes he was in the Operators seat and not the Drivers seat at the time.