Auto Coach Colours

[Nova Scotian]

I have a question about the colour of auto coaches. For what period were were the crimson and yellow coloured auto coaches being run and when would these colours have been replaced with maroon? Any help would be appreciated.

[John H-T]

Crimson and Yellow would be from Nationalisation to about 1957 then Maroon to the end of Western Region Steam in 1965.

These are only approx. dates.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Nova Scotian]

Originally Posted by John H-T

Crimson and Yellow would be from Nationalisation to about 1957 then Maroon to the end of Western Region Steam in 1965.

These are only approx. dates.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Thanks John H-T...I've started planning a small branch layout and am trying to keep everything accurate as I can in terms of logo's and colours etc.

[John H-T]

Nova Scotian,

I was a bit uneasy after suggesting a rigid guide to Auto Coach Colours, especially as the the Western Region of BR was a bit of a maverick in all sorts of ways including liveries! See lots of lined and unlined green applied to locos which were painted black, lined or otherwise by other regions!

The 2004 Hornby Catalogue confirms my dates and they are often fairly accurate!

I then started looking at photos. I have only found one of an Auto Coach in Blood and Custard from 1951 of W50. I think a BR built Coach. (BR continued to build Auto Coaches until about 1954!) As I understand it the BR built coaches do not have a 'W' suffix.

However I have found a number of photos from the same period showing coaches in red. If the WR had followed the rules the Auto Coaches as non corridor stock should have been red. It may very well depend on where they were painted.

So if you want to be safe go for red. However I don't know what livery the BR built coaches first carried.

As I think I have said on this Forum before try to find a photo of your prototype, it is the only way you can be 100% certain and there are many traps to fall into!

While on Auto Trains. If you are running the Hornby Auto Tank be aware that some of the Tanks carried boilers without top feeds until withdrawn and 1450 still does in presevation. The Hornby model has a top feed.

I have attached two photos taken at The Llangollen Railway of their red and cream auto coach with 1450 with an Auto Coach in GWR livery behind.

I would point out that a livery carried in preservation does not necessarily mean it is authentic!

Does anyone else have any more info to add. I feel that it is very important to try to get this sort of thing right for the record so that misinformation does not become accepted as fact.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Nova Scotian]

Hi John H -T:

Thanks again for the information. I too have looked at a number of pictures of auto coach operations and have come to the conclusion that the lines are very blurred regarding changes in logos and colour schemes.

Having collected bits and pieces of OO stuff over the last 25 thirty years I am starting to put together a small model branchline. My auto coach is made by Mainline. It's crimson and cream and bears the designation W178W.

I am going to assume the auto coach would have been hauled or pushed anytime between 1950 and 1958. Anything after that would have been maroon in colour.

Before moving to Canada in 1972, I lived in Marlow and travelled the Marlow Branch Line many times. Hopefully I can recreate a little bit of that terminus and time in OO.

Cheers

Nova Scotian

[swisstrains]

Hello Nova Scotian,
I have just looked through a selection of books and found 10 pictures of auto trains taken between 1952 and 1964. The breakdown was as follows: 1952....2 x Blood/custard, 1953.....1 x Red, 1954......3 x Red, 1955.....1 x Red, 1957.....1 x Red, 1958....1 x Red, 1964......1 x Red.
I couldn't tell if the ones pictured were ex-GWR or B.R. built examples but it would appear that any auto trains that ran in blood/custard livery only did so during the early 1950's.

[John H-T]

Nova Scotian,

Didn't they call the passenger trains on the Marlow Branch: "The Marlow Donkey?"

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[robbo]

Ive quite a few pictures of the autotrain from Llangollen of my fotopic site - do a search in the bottom box on the right with the term "Auto" should throw them up , plus one of the interior which could be quite useful below

- http://john-robinson.fotopic.net/p45117027.html