Great Central Winter Gala; 30th, 31st Jan & 1st Feb

Oh, yes!

 

There are two charters with 48624 being in BR weathered black condition. In their advertising spiel is the comment " Thanks has to be given to the owning group for giving permission to have their loco put back into a temporary Black BR livery". At £65 a go there could be some unhappy punters.

 

Well I can't find anything about these charters on the GCR website - perhaps you could post the link? ...or is it on the website if whoever's organising the charter?

I think you're being very pedantic over whether it's temporary or not. If the punters are paying £65 to have a charter with it in BR black - and it is - then I still can't see how that is misleading.

 

See post 12 about the livery of 48624. Here is the link to the charters.

http://www.timelineevents.org/produ...8f-48624-on-a-heavy-freight-21st-january-2015

 

So I guess your beef is actually with the photo charter website for being (supposedly) misleading, not the GCR?

 

Still don't see how it is misleading, surely as long as it's black it doesn't matter whether it's been done with poster paints that can washed off or not, as long as the result is the same?

 

So which part of the wording is misleading?
Temporary - well without getting too philosophical on the matter of permanence, how long are poster paints really going to last?
Black - Unless my eyes deceive me
BR - the transfers suggest so
Livery - As opposed to...?

 

I wouldn't have thought there would be any unhappy punters on the charters. I was brought in by the charter organiser to transform the loco from red to black, using poster paints. The charters were sold as such and have since sold out with 40 to 50 people each day. Pretty good going if you ask me.

Painting the loco my way has cost in the region of £50, and that includes the paint application devices (brushes and rollers to you). Repainting the loco properly into black, then back into red shortly after with 2 full sets of transfers would cost in the region on 8 grand... You do the maths, how much would charter spaces have to be sold for to recoup that, as well as the operating costs.

I really cannot see your issue with the loco. If it was painted black, i'd have weathered it anyway therefore covering over all the black paint.

 

Thanks for the explanation and all your efforts which will be greatly appreciated even by me. As you say your way is the best financial way. I will look forward to seeing the gala photographs.

 

Or rain, sleet and snow like there was last night before the charter today!

 

Sorry to veer off, but I've always wondered why it costs so much to repaint a loco, compared to a carriage for instance. To fully repaint and line out a MK1 costs in the region of £4-600, so why so much more for a loco? I know paint prices vary, but I think even the most expensive tins of paint we buy from Williamson's are around £70 for specially mixed., IIRC. Not sure whether the transfers are included in that price, but they can't be £1000s, so why so much extra?

 

Very few locos are flat sided, and have complex shapes everywhere you look all of which need rubbing down. If the loco has been used or run in everything will need cleaning and de-greasing before any painting can take place.

Locos are subject to regular harsh cleaning (often with Kero and Oil) so need 5+ coats of paint, often the more the better. If the painter skimps on layers it shows up a few years down the line when the undercoat shows through!

 

Ah I had forgotten much more preparation would be needed for a locomotive. I can understand wanting to strip paint to inspect stuff for a thorough overhaul for instance, but why not mid term just a light sand all over then paint several coats on top?

 

Having just seen a pic taken today, sadly it seems the 8F was more red than black.

 

On one side only, although it should all be in black again by now.

Looking at the pictures of the other side, it looks superb though most are in black and white due to the complete lack of sun, or indeed light.

 

The paint will normally bake on when the locos used, so makes it a bit more hard wearing. Just a combination of cold weather, so the paint hadn't quite dried properly, and then sleety rain overnight. Not the ideal combination. Although, it has happened before with 45337 at our 60's weekend, then the 9F the evening before their gala when a sudden torrential downpour appeared from nowhere. Luckily its a quick and cheap job just to throw a bit more paint at it the next day and cover the shiny bits.

Not too sure what their plan is with the loco after today. Hopefully they'll put it in the shed until next week.

 

That'll be Tom's side then?

 

Anyone willing to share any pictures of the weathered 8f please? Never seen a loco 'dirtied' with poster paint before?

Chris

 

This is a great shot! (Not mine) https://www.flickr.com/photos/45319495@N04/16344132945/