Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

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Howie617
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Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Howie617 » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:14 pm

Having taken the plunge and bought some Brandbright coaches I am trying to get my head round how I am going to paint them. I have mocked up images with a few colours which I am struggling to pick a favorite as I like to many of the combinations, the biggest issue I am having is where to draw the line literally. The patterns I had most mocked up for the most number of combinations are a garter blue and stone colour

My stock are 1900's area coaches having a refurb and repaint in the 1920's, whilst colours and patterns are very subjective to personal taste and then lighting I wanted to cast some option on what looked most 1920's, some whilst are interesting they strike me as more Victorian and fiddly. I would appreciate some opinions and if any one has any tips or pitfalls to avoid in the building and finishing of these types of coaches then that would be greatly appreciated as well.
Attachments
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 2.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 2.jpg (415.85 KiB) Viewed 7748 times
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 3.2.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 3.2.jpg (408.96 KiB) Viewed 7748 times
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 3.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 3.jpg (411.56 KiB) Viewed 7748 times
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 4.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 4.jpg (412.1 KiB) Viewed 7748 times
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 5.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone 5.jpg (401.85 KiB) Viewed 7748 times
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone.jpg
PS23a Garter Blue and Stone.jpg (408.05 KiB) Viewed 7748 times

Howie617
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Howie617 » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:19 pm

other colour combinations I have mocked are BR maroon, Buckingham green, Crimson Lake and Midlands red, all with stone 2nd colour (i've also mocked them in various cream)
Attachments
BR Maroon
BR Maroon
PS23a BR Maroon and stone.jpg (419.15 KiB) Viewed 7746 times
Buck Green
Buck Green
PS23a Buckingham Green and stone.jpg (443.52 KiB) Viewed 7746 times
Crimson
Crimson
PS23a Crimson Lake and Stone.jpg (443.81 KiB) Viewed 7746 times
Midlands Red
Midlands Red
PS23a Midland Red and GWR Cream.jpg (464.78 KiB) Viewed 7746 times

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BorisSpencer
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by BorisSpencer » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:57 pm

I have a similar problem, having bought 3 Timpdon kits in anticipation of the arrival of an RH Jennie. They're quite similar to the Brandbright ones, albeit with a little less detail.

One option I've added to my list is staining the outside fret with a teak stain and varnishing, might look a bit older than you're trying to achieve, and I haven't laid all six sides out to check that they're a good enough finish to stain and varnish.

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Paul_A_C » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:57 pm

I personally like the Garter Blue ‘F’, or the Crimson. ‘F’ to me looks the most prototypical, for example the L&B livery which was late 1890s onwards. The other liveries look too garish IMHO for the 1920s. Another colour would be S&DJR Prussian Blue, which is much darker that LNER (?) Garter Blue. Would look good with black/gold lining! :roll:
Last edited by Paul_A_C on Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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IrishPeter
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:58 pm

Personally I would loose the black ends, they are more of a feature of steel bodied stock, in favour of the main body colour. I could go with either scheme, though I would have to admit a slight preference for F and it would give the WLR a distinctive look. I tend to shy away from light colours in a steam railway context because it is a dirty environment, and as time passed there was less and less money for cleaning available.

Picking up the beading on the upper panels is OK for the early 1920s, but by the late 20s labour was getting expensive, and the custom was dying out. Three of the four post-grouping railways had lined out single colour (or lack of it in the case of the LNER) liveries, and the lining tended to disappear on second string stock as the cash crunch got going from 1926 onwards.

Cheers,

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Lonsdaler » Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:40 pm

IrishPeter wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:58 pm
Picking up the beading on the upper panels is OK for the early 1920s, but by the late 20s labour was getting expensive, and the custom was dying out. Three of the four post-grouping railways had lined out single colour (or lack of it in the case of the LNER) liveries, and the lining tended to disappear on second string stock as the cash crunch got going from 1926 onwards.

Cheers,

Peter in Va
Surely therein lies your answer - have a mix of styles, reflecting the gradually diminishing cash available for 'tarting up' stock. It would also make each carriage distinctive for recognition purposes. Just a thought. :)
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by laalratty » Thu Oct 04, 2018 8:37 pm

I would personally go with the F style, but with either fully black ends or fully body colour ends as I've never seen a coach (with the exception of observation end coaches) where the ends are more then one colour. The others all look a bit fussy or feature too much of the lighter colour, although one option that I think would be considered that you haven't is the whole of the top half of the coach in the lighter colour, and the rest in the darker colour, much like Ffestiniog Railway coach 15 if you want an example.
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Peter Butler » Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:15 pm

I could live with each of those combinations of colour quite happily, they all look quite distinctive and reflect your personal choice. The important thing to remember is .... it's your railway and your decision. As for hints and tips, the only thing I can offer, being new to wooden kits myself, is to paint the overlays separately before attaching to the main body. The edges will be crisp and neat with no 'bleeding' of the paint.
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by invicta280 » Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:30 pm

I too like the F pattern. The various colour schemes all look very attractive but as has been said above the colour schemes involving predominantly dark colour seem more suited to steam operation. Those that are mainly light coloured would maybe better suit electric tramways etc.

As someone with no IT skills I'm envious of your ability to just 'mock up' the coaches in different combos to see what looks best. I would be tempted to print them out and put them all on the table side by side and choose.

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by IanC » Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:36 pm

I have similar issues. I can't decide on a livery for my proposed rake of coaches. I have a maroon and a green steam loco so I'd like something which would look good behind both. My last rake of coaches was similar to BRs blood and custard livery. I already have two coaches in red and very pale cream. I was thinking of Furness Indian red with gold lining. I plan on going down a similar route and mocking up some different schemes before taking the plunge. I agree with the majority in that black ends will not feature on whatever I decide on.
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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by ge_rik » Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:33 pm

I thought F as well (before I saw the other posts). I like the crimson and cream option personally, but that's maybe because I like 3' gauge lines such as the Donegal and IoM...

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by Howie617 » Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:38 pm

Thanks all for your inputs so far. The black ends have gone, I had no real reference for them in the back of my mind I thought I had seen them, which clearly I had just on more modern stock. The much favoured F was where my eye had been drawn as a mix of the old and new along with E. The plus side of this is the delicate final overlay will be all one colour which makes life easier and will cover the colour change lines in the main body making it all look neater. Im a bit to orderly in life and like things to match so I suspect all three will end up liveried the same. My other half works a bit more on a "I like that" mentality so over the course of the railways expansion I expect a bit more of a mix match will eventually be achieved as and when she finds some stock she likes. Just from looking through the ffestiniogs rolling stock you do see a marked simplification in the stocks liveries on the 1930's era inventory so this should fit a transition from fairly ornate lined carriages to single coloured simpler designs. I should really be getting on with other jobs I had started but have mocked the suggested Prussian Blue, Ffestinioggs coach 15 and F with no black ends.
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Coach F
Coach F
And the winner is.jpg (444.34 KiB) Viewed 7672 times
Ffestinog Coach 15 ish
Ffestinog Coach 15 ish
Fest 15 ish.jpg (448.74 KiB) Viewed 7672 times
Prussian Blue
Prussian Blue
Prussan.jpg (410.08 KiB) Viewed 7672 times

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by FWLR » Sat Oct 06, 2018 8:13 am

I think I am the only one that liked “B” in your first post, I think a change from the norm is fine.

Your second post do look alright and I would go with coach “F”.

Don’t forget, it’s your line and rolling stock. Peter Butlers tip on doing the overlays first is a great way of not getting over runs on the other paint. I have done it on my latest little battery loco.

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by IrishPeter » Sun Oct 07, 2018 3:55 am

One thing to remember, if you worry about such things, is that before 1956 it was almost universally 'First' and 'Third' on British railway systems. There was very little second class after the '14-'18 War except on Boat Trains, and a few commuter lines. Second lingered longer in Ireland - especially on the GNR(I) mainlines, and in Dublin's suburbs, but the Midland, and the Isle of Man Railway both got rid of 2nd in the late 1870s - the one by accident, the other by design.

Of course, you could save some hassle and just mark the 1st class compartments, and leave the thirds unmarked as was latterly the practice on the IMR. BTW, their red and cream livery dates from 1950. Before that it was generally either a muddy brown or something close to the old LNWR livery, or Lake all-over.

Cheers,
Peter in VA
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by big-ted » Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:41 am

I painted my Brandbright coaches in cream and exterior stain:

Image

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Re: Coach Paint schemes for the WLR

Post by FWLR » Wed Dec 12, 2018 10:38 am

Very nice colours Ted. :thumbright:

Love the line also....

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