Loco liveries: BCDR & LLSR & MGWR brake van green

[jhb171achill]

In response to several enquiries, and from Cyril Fry’s models, here are the dark green colours used by the above-mentioned:

The first four are what Fry had for the Midland goods brakes. However, some reports suggest a lighter colour; maybe both were used. I am unaware of any way of confirming this. Others were certainly grey, like the wagons.

CIE green is shown (Maedb) as a comparison, albeit necessarily in artificial light.

The County Down green is certainly accurate. It was darker than UTA green, and not remotely like No. 30 in Cultra.

The LLSR green - something tells me it could have been darker (certainly not lighter) but that was possibly due to the dirt and grime which darkened its appearance in use. I include it for completeness.

[David Holman]

Remarkable! How long did the Midland vehicles last in these colours? Also, what colour was WL&W freight stock, pre take over by the GSWR? 

 Photos in Ernie Shepherd's book suggest varnished wood with black metalwork, but am guessing that was probably like photographic grey.

[jhb171achill]

19 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Remarkable! How long did the Midland vehicles last in these colours? Also, what colour was WL&W freight stock, pre take over by the GSWR? 

 Photos in Ernie Shepherd's book suggest varnished wood with black metalwork, but am guessing that was probably like photographic grey.

I am not sure what Midland guards vans had the green livery, whether any that did were this shade, or as suggested in another source, something lighter (could have been this, badly faded). Fry was in Broadstone when vans like this were being painted, so I suspect the dark shade shown here is certainly how they started.

This green livery was not applied to any other vehicle - only goods brake vans / drovers vans such as this.

WLWR goods stock was, I believe, plain dark grey. The varnished wagons seen in Ernie's book were pre-WLWR, in W&LR days, and probably only like this on delivery.