GWR Pannier Livery

[81F]

Can anyone tell me what colour the tank fronts should be on GWR green pannier tanks? Excluding the 94XX, in preservation I've seen the tank fronts painted either green (like the Hornby 27XX) or black.

I had  wondered if the black fronts might be a British Railways interpretation as the earliest colour photos seem to be in BR or early preservation period.

Does anyone know which is correct or does it depend on period or even individual loco?

 

 

[poliss]

Have you seen the GWR modelling pages?

http://www.gwr.org.uk/liveries.html

[walkingthedog]

I don't think there was a hard and fast rule, it just depended where and who painted it.  I'd have said black was in the majority. 

[81F]

Have you seen the GWR modelling pages?

http://www.gwr.org.uk/liveries.html

Yes thanks - a very useful site but didn't notice anything about this detail.

[poliss]

Did you follow the links to the other sites concerning livery?

[81F]

I don't think there was a hard and fast rule, it just depended where and who painted it.  I'd have said black was in the majority. 

That sounds about right, it goes back to the old addage - get a photo of the one you are modelling in the period that you are modelling it - shame ther're all in black and white for the period that I model!

[LCDR]

 Practically every Pannier Tank I ever saw was black all over. I believe this started during the War, so there will now be very few people alive who can clearly remember them in green. And as has been said most photographs taken before 1950 were in monochrome as well. Haresnape's book on GW liveries states that until 1941 tank fronts were green. After 1941 plain black all over was the order of the day. In 1945 Hawksworth re-introduced green but unlined or with simplified lining except on the best express locos. Repainting was not done until next overhaul so many lesser classes will have retained black until nationalisation dictated this as a standard.