35018 British India Line

ARH, but which? i think the only authentic camoflage would be the SEAC applied far eastern colours
Can we have a selection of possible slides so we can chose, overall silver with a couple of bands down the sides with the RAF Roundel would look good

 

I'd chip in a fiver for that repaint Though I think it'd look best marked up in Lightening markings rather than earlier forms of camouflage...

 

Yep, silver with a red and yellow checked tender. That'll do nicely!

 

You might call it baleful, others love it - including some that were never there. I merely highlighted that period as its much more likely that BR Late crest is the period livery of choice that people want to see replicated today and to be honest I am again slightly playing devils advocate (a frequent trait of mine on here). Some engines of the time were turned out in spotless condition. Others were left and went unkempt, but regardless the favoured image to portray is a clean British Railways locomotive. The only objection by some here is to the colour 35018 will return in... funny how they don't object to the change in tender configuration, the change to the boards protecting the steps on the back of the tender, the change even to the hazard warning flashes! Its clear you don't prefer that period and that's fine - that's your right and opinion which is very much respected - but others do and want to see something from memory return which is by and large the reason why many want the engine to be authentic as that's how it was, that's how things used to be. However, other engines are like that (and as I say below) are done and around in an authentic guise, so there is the chance to do something different instead.

Thus the issue is, that its 2017 and the owners don't have to be authentic, they don't have to run in a previous period livery and don't have always look backwards to a by-gone era. If that means that WCRC really follow what some think to be a traditional railway ethos, then they look back at the history of what railways have done before, but take pride in how they operate and their standards and quality of their work. That's means they look at what they are doing today, and what they want to be seen as today, and that means a nod to the past but also a break from it. If they choose to reinforce that by putting BIL in a Black livery that is their choice as its what they want to do. The rest as I said before will just be debated in the enthusiast following as nothing more than an academic discussion, while they get on with running a modern heritage steam company for the paying travelling general public.

Yes and No. The reason why Id be more aghast if Union went black or Darlington Green is that its been running for decades in BR Green late crest. Its got a huge reputation and is iconic for this very appearance - so the change would be more dramatic. Engines do build up a reputation on their performance and past history, but also their appearance recently. Few people would complain about 1306 Mayflower's appearance, despite the fact that the engine in LNER Green is not authentic. It was done like that and stayed in that livery. People think of Mayflower and immediately the image is of a B1 in LNER Green that people are happy to accept as others in the class (or others like it) carried it, despite the fact that this engine didn't. BIL is returning to traffic and has not run since it was in traffic with BR, so it has no previous history with being a preserved engine, thus, it could emerge in something different and set it apart from its other classmates today. That second point is highly significant 35018 is compared to class mates and there is the possibility of something different being done to one of them. Eastern region machines have no such option, unless someone goes and builds another A2, A3, etc. I take your point that regardless of it being done in preservation or whether it was BR the change would still mean the same. However, maybe aghast is the wrong word for it. Id be more surprised with an engine that has carved our a reputation and image - 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is well known for being in BR Express Blue for example. I actually wouldn't be adverse to something different if the engine was the right one selected - which is why I think 35018 is a good choice to do this with and why certain schemes such as Darlington Green done on an engine look quite good. NER Darlington Green on Blue Peter - maybe if I owned it... a man can dream...

 

Sources for this statement please


Keith

 

I would have thought its pretty obvious, looking at the amount of engines run by preserved groups that try to run in authentic period. They all run in that guise, and that tends to be the livery of choice in polls, livery ballots and general conversation between those on the platform end.

 

Why? 92 Sqd never served in the Far East.
If we're talking fancy colour schemes then basing it on this would get my vote.

 

I think you make my point for me - very cogent arguments, but plenty of counters also available.

 

Sorry ian, i thought that the cobra in the badge was something that came from a spell from middle east duty, next time i should research before i post

 

How more acceptable would it be if WCRC adopted their own livery of , say, Gloss Black, perhaps lined with gold and maroon, together with a TOPS as a Running Number and W. C. R. on the tender, and applied that to all its Locomotives ? One could not say that this was not authentic any more than saying a Class 141 in 'Northern rail' was not authentic. sorry about the double neg...

 

Please don't give them any ideas like that!

 

You mean like this?

 

I could understand the logic if not agree with the choice, provided it was done to a decent standard too.

 

Yup! I think a silver Spamcan would be a spectacular sight.

 

Your wish is my command, although its more gold than silver....

 

+1, maybe squadron colours on the tender?

 

How about this scheme?

 

Let us not go there... it is a silly place

 

When 92 finished on the Lightning they sent us a set of stencils to to the complete tail insignia - cobra and maple leaves on a white background - but I don't know what happened to them.
Having that on the tender flanked by the red and yellow arrowhead would look pretty neat IMO.

 

I understand that the loaded test run booked for tomorrow has now been postponed. I don't know the reason, perhaps it's to let the green have paint time to dry!