Livery announcement
Liveries are always a controversial subject in the world of heritage railways, but we have an announcement to make! See below from Ian, our Head of Department...
At the PLC Board Meeting on 23 May, a proposal from C&W to adopt a carriage livery of either chocolate/cream or crimson/cream was agreed. The rationale for dropping our existing maroon livery in favour of crimson/cream is based on the following:
- Crimson/cream livery is proven to resist fading better than maroon
- The cost of finishing a carriage in crimson/cream is less expensive than finishing in maroon
- When it is necessary to replace carriages in a rake either for operational reasons or as part of our long term project to achieve standard rake consists, a mixed rake of crimson/cream and chocolate/cream is visually more attractive
The re-painting of our existing maroon liveried fleet to crimson/cream will be undertaken over a number of years with carriages brought into the works to coincide with operational needs and availability of space in the Paintshop. Where possible, priority will be given to those vehicles whose maroon paintwork is in the worst condition. The cost of the undertaking this work will be met from C&W annual budget (i.e. no additional funding will be required).
All in favour here. The sooner the better. CC is more pleasing to the eye and to the camera. Kept clean, it can look very striking. Even West Coast Railways cannot keep their maroon livery tidy!
ReplyDeleteKeep up that amazing amount of extremly high standard of work everyone.
Again a good choice. Much prefer the crimson and cream over the maroon, and as you say won't look out of place if they have to be mixed up once in a while. Wasn't it call blood & custard by some, or was that my imagination.
ReplyDeleteYes it was, and could please apply the BR transfers rather than the rather ugly GWSR ones please?
Deletefor authenticity, not on crimson and cream stock.
DeleteBut it was used on Chocolate & Cream stock!
DeleteErr, yes, I know!
DeleteSuperb decision and a much more visually pleasant colour combination I have long wished that we would move to CC
ReplyDeleteGood choice and second the BT transfers to complete the authentic picture.
ReplyDeleteIn BR days, when the crimson and cream livery was first introduced, mainline coaching stock did not carry a British Railways "lion and wheel" insignia. It only appeared later, when the other colour schemes superseded the rather attractive crimson and cream livery.
DeleteLove the idea of crimson and cream ahead . I like many have always called it blood and custard but my daughter who is a doctor says it should be in medical language called blood and puss !
ReplyDeleteThanks for so quickly doing 4 new panels for the GWR bench at Hayles , will you fit them
Great to have Crimson and cream ahead , sadly maroon soon looks poor . Blood and Custard is the popular description but as my doctor daughter point out , it should be in medical terms known as Blood and Puss !
ReplyDeleteApologies to those of faint disposition JM
Never mind JM, I knew we could rely on you!
DeleteI agree that the maroon livery seems to look much tattier than the chocolate/cream or crimson/cream liveries. I totally disagree that the GWSR transfers should be replaced by BR ones, since it is the GWSR not BR that the coaches run on (obviously the NYMR or other borrowed ones would have to have them removed before returning to their owners). On another point, why should anybody take any notice of 'Anonymous' comments if the senders aren't prepared to sign them, as I do?
ReplyDeleteA Pettifer
Can we GWSR logos on all the locos then 😂
DeleteAwww I was hoping for a blue grey set or Southern Green 😉
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer weathered maroon in mixed rakes with Choc and Cream or Crimson and cream.
But I'm not going to lose sleep over pragmatic choices.
Could we have all crimson fruit D then?
I like the proposed livery choices very much but I read somewhere BR swapped Blood and Custard for maroon because the former was more prone to sunlight damage but would someone at executive level please explain the GWSR transfers. A good explanation may alay my thoughts they spoil the otherwise brilliant renovation carried out by C & W.
ReplyDeleteGeoff J
I totally agree with the adoption of BTC transfers, as they are already applied to locos and the DMU's, so why not the coaching stock? I think the corporate GWSR logo just devalues the splendid attention to detail applied by the C&W staff, I think it would also attract more photo charters if liveries were correct.
DeleteWhat about a green set to go with P&O? (Ok will get my coat now …)
ReplyDeleteTheC&Wmanagement know what’s best for us , you cannot have keep having other colours and logos just to go with P&O or diesels . If you want ti s SR green , go to Swanage or Mid Hants HR’s .John M.
ReplyDelete