Book/manual cover colours

[Graeme Leary]

One of my more naff questions I'm afraid. I'm assembling a couple of Ratio signal box interiors to install in some of my signal boxes and the kits come with a neat little moulded bookshelf (with books) to fix to the walls. Presume the books would all be manuals or instruction books so would there have been a likely cover colour (LNER of course) to these sort of books - minor pedantry but worth getting close, particularly when/if I get around to lighting the interiors.
Graeme Leary
New Zealand

[65447]

I guess no one has answered because there is no specific answer! The LNER printed many different books and booklets, mainly in-house at Stratford Printing Works, and the cover colours were restricted to the card or cloth generally available and cost effective. There wasn't a house colour for material that was not in the public domain, where an orange colour was typical for timetable booklets and similar, and neither was there a colour 'code' to differentiate between subjects. So white, pale yellow, peach, pale green, pale blue, beige, buff, grey, pale pink, light red, dark red, mid brown are amongst examples I either have or have been lent for scanning. Formats also varied - bearing in mind that this was long before the ISO 'A' sizes - with foolscap (13" high by 8") generally the largest save for the registers.

[StevieG]

I guess no one has answered because there is no specific answer! The LNER printed many different books and booklets, mainly in-house at Stratford Printing Works, and the cover colours were restricted to the card or cloth generally available and cost effective. There wasn't a house colour for material that was not in the public domain, where an orange colour was typical for timetable booklets and similar, and neither was there a colour 'code' to differentiate between subjects. So white, pale yellow, peach, pale green, pale blue, beige, buff, grey, pale pink, light red, dark red, mid brown are amongst examples I either have or have been lent for scanning. Formats also varied - bearing in mind that this was long before the ISO 'A' sizes - with foolscap (13" high by 8") generally the largest save for the registers.

I'd just add to 65447's post;-
- It could have a little bearing on your question if you have a particular 'ownership' period [Pre-Group, 'Big Four', BR ? (later?) ] in which you want to portray your model(s), Graeme.
One thing about the differing colours that 65447 mentions, irrespective of whether it was just what was best around to use at any given time, a change in colour of a successive issue (edition) of any given book could help quick differentiation of old from new around the date of the latter coming into effect.
That apart, all the 1937 LMS Sectional Appendices (SA) were different colours, and most boxes (though not all) would be likely only to have the one(s) for their area(s).
BR were possibly a little more organised (standardised?) about this, in some cases at least, although some Regions apparently more than others.
BR's Working TimeTables (WTT) (for many years, all of them I think) were a 'buff' colour, and of greatly varying thicknesses according their area / number of routes, and/or volume of traffic, etc., until, I'd say, around 1970 when the passenger WTTs started turning blue while the freight books remained unchanged. Then the passenger / freight differentiation was changed to one of Mandatory (scheduled regular services; passenger & freight), and Conditional (booked paths for trains which only ran when required; unsurprisingly, mostly freights).

All BR's Western Region's 1960 Sectional Appendices (at least 10) were grey, while the North Eastern's of the same year (only two; much thicker) had different colour covers from each other.
While the Eastern's 1960 "Great Northern Line" SA and the same Region's later all-embracing ones up to 1978, had red covers; yet their three for the GE and LT&S lines from 1960 -'64 were all light blue.
BR's national General Appendix to the 'Working Timetables and Regulations for Train Signalling' issues of '60 & '72 had mid-blue covers, but the canvas 'tape' sealing the spine was bright red.
Both issues of BR's little square Rule Book during 1950 - the early '60s were identically black :But the next issue (a totally different sort of book in a loose-leaf format in 1972) was a deep-ish red.
Lastly both of BR's Regulations for Train Signalling editions of 1960 & 1972 were a mid-green (even though in 1960, the Western and Southern Regions had to have their own editions as they both needed some content variation from the standard ER / LMR / Scottish one : I've a feeling that one or both of these may have had a black 'tape' spine).

So where does this leave you Graeme ? - Personally, I'd say pick any of the above colours (or, again possibly depending on period, maroon, dull yellow, dull green, khaki, brighter yellow), in sizes and thicknesses that you fancy.
I think it would have to be someone with very specialised knowledge and a love of pedantry to say 'that is wrong' on this matter.

[john coffin]

Most books I have seen that relate to pre grouping are quite drab, often a reddy brown mix and as has been said, quite big, for instance minute
books etc.

Instruction books might well also be that kind of drab. Many "books" ie Dickens or Walter Scott of the period would be red and quarto which
is about 6x4

Frankly who is going to spend too much time looking through the windows of your Ratio box and complain that you have got it wrong.
More important is to include a signal man with a rag, and make sure you paint the various levers with correct colour handles as well
as the various line items being in wooden cases.

An interesting challenge for your spare time

paul

[StevieG]

" .... and make sure you paint the various levers with correct colour handles as well
as the various line items being in wooden cases. .... "

Sorry Paul, but just to clarify, the only lever handles I've seen in various colours were those in a few miniature-lever boxes operating power signalling : The main part of each lever, below the handle and catch, is that which is traditionally coloured; - as appropriate -
- red, yellow, blue, black, brown, black & white chevrons, white, possibly green, half blue half brown, half blue half black, occasionally half red half yellow or half red half brown, or even one or two other unusual oddities; and/or little touches (technical), like one white band, etc. (I'll go no further into other specialised possibilities, which yet again, may depend on Company or Region, and/or period in time).

[65447]

I think the plethora of information about non-LNER will only serve to confuse further, since the OP specifically noted 'LNER of course!'

I have a schedule of the lever colours if required, although there are a couple of unresolved queries associated with it.

[StevieG]

" I think the plethora of information about non-LNER will only serve to confuse further, since the OP specifically noted 'LNER of course!' .... "

Quite so 65447! Thanks; I'd forgotten having read that mention when the thread started.

And apologies, Graeme Leary.

[Graeme Leary]

Thanks all but a 'plea in mitigation'. I did preface this as being 'one of my more naff questions' and Paul's quite right - who is going to peer in the window of a Ratio kit to see if I've got this correct.
My period of modelling is the 'Big 4' era so I've gone the 'green' way for the bookends - seemed to relate and now I'm looking forward to the arrival of a fellow modeller, equally as pedantic as me - but with highly developed magnification on his specs. (And my lever handles are painted in a range of appropriate colours but now to put a rag in the signalman's hand - thanks for that tip too).
Graeme