LNER nameplate colours

David Dippie · Post by **David Dippie** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:34 pm

1/Does anyone know what colour Sir Ronald Matthews nameplates were when first fitted in 1938 when the loco was LNER blue?
Were they 'Indian Red' like the wheels, or red (like the buffer beam).

2/What colour was V2 60860 Durham School nameplate & mounting in the mid-1950's when loco was black?
It seems the plates were bright red when the loco was in BR Green.

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:41 pm

A4 red is coronation btw

They were fitted 11/03/1939, and it had also cut out numbers and LNER

Nothing seems to mention the colours, but I think they all started red

One point, in the renumbering, why did the Chairman get 1, and the designer a lowly 7

David Dippie · Post by **David Dippie** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:41 pm

Mark,

Is 'Coronation' a shade of red?
I'm trying to get a spec. for the colour for a model in the 1939 era.

David

Bullhead · Post by **Bullhead** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:05 pm

silver fox wrote:Why did the Chairman get 1, and the designer a lowly 7?

Presumably because the Chief Mechanical Engineer works for the Chairman?

73D · Post by **73D** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:47 pm

David

Looking at the LNER painting diagram for Dominion of New Zealand (amended since first posted) the nameplate background and the wheels are marked to be red. Underneath the drawing text says Coronation Red, so it appears that the nameplate colour was the same as the wheels – a darker shade than used in BR times.

Colour pictures seem to confirm this.

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:57 pm

That's the Clue, colour pictures, but LNER Blue ones are as rare as hens teeth!

And as for the nameplate, looking at the painting diagram for Dominion of New Zealand
Chrome Plated Red Background

the blue BTW is Garter

73D · Post by **73D** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:52 am

There are six 'hens teeth' in Locomotives in Detail - Gresley 4-6-2 - A4 Class. These show Dominion of Canada outside Doncaster paintshop, March 39, and Silver King in Kings Cross yard 1938 - both page 39. Also another one of 4489 on page 63, but it is difficult to see what colour the nameplate background is as it is quite grubby - the nameplate not the picture! The fourth, page 42, is of no use in this case, as it only shows the tender and cab of 4500 with standard gold LNER lettering i.e. before Coronationising - there, a new word!

There are also two post-war ones, Seagull, black nameplate background, with British Railways on the tender - page 54 and Empire of India at Newcastle in 1947, red nameplate background - page 65.

There is also a colour picture of Sir Nigel Gresley, red nameplate background, taken at the opening of Rugby Testing Station, October 1948, again with British Railways on tender. I have this in Locomotives Illustrated 38.

The picture of Silver King is the best of the bunch as in this the nameplate does look to be the same colour as the wheels.

David Dippie · Post by **David Dippie** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:12 pm

Thanks Richard and Mark for the feedback,

You both refer to 'painting drawings' for A4's.
Are copies of these drawings available , perhaps from the NRM?
If so, I have found extreme difficulty in trying to access Doncaster drawings.

I have also been trying to get access to nameplate drawings to determine the actual plate dimensions, again for modelling purposes.
I have (over the last 10 years) recorded about 90% of the A1,A2,A3,A4,B1,V2,K4,K2 nameplate dimensions from collectors, museums, Burridge etc. but would welcome sight of the drawings (if they exist) to complete this work.
I began this after realising that no-one has published such details on LNER plates, and 'O' gauge model plates I bought were inaccurate in both length and typeface.

David

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:48 pm

Mine is in yeadons register vol2 A4/W1