Doncaster Enterprise 47522

[MattR]

Evening all

I’m in the process of painting a Hornby class 47 into the apple green livery in which 47522 was outshopped, but am stuck on the roof colour:

https://www.railwayherald.com/imagingcentre/view/582558/TM

would the closest be Railmatch silver grey? Or would it be diesel roof grey (latter looks a bit too dark to my eyes).

thanks, Matt

[What About The Bee]

Hello MattR

Rather than an opinion, I will use science. An image may be color sampled, and the color codes extracted. I prefer to work in RGB, but other codes are presented.

I sampled the photo in 4 places to determine the roof color. Note that some small variation is present, but I get an average RGB of 224, 215, 200. The location of each sample is shown, and the associated color codes.

I then pulled up your two colors and sampled them, as I could not immediately find the color code.

Railmatch silver grey is closest at RGB 206,208,195.

Railmatch diesel roof grey further away at RGB 169,168, 150

Be aware that colors presented on the web may not precisely match true colors.

Further, for a best match, we should sample the roof in many places and then take the color code to a store to dial in the color directly.

Bee

[MattR]

Hi Bee

thanks so much for your help with this - that’s really helpful and much appreciated.

Your analysis also confirms why I’m so often disappointed with the various renditions of BR blue - I’ve tried just about all the off the shelf one’s. But as many others on this forum and elsewhere have done many times, there’s no sign of these sorts of debates ending anytime soon with all the variables that you mention.

best, Matt

[Simon-372339]

Another candidate, RailMatch 2303 BR Diesel Light Grey.

You can't reliably get a colour match from using a jpg picture alone, you will get a rough idea in this case a light grey. Image caption 'in unique LNER apple green postal livery' raises the question are all the colours LNER or just the apple green.

[What About The Bee]

Simon's recommendation, color sampled. Closer yet!

Instead of color sampling swatches, Railmaster probably has a color code associated with these paints. May I strongly recommend you find that.

Secondly, if there are a few images of 47522, they should be sampled as well. The more we have, the better the result. Simon is correct, 1 image is subject to all kinds of subtle influences.

Interestingly, if I sample the roof near the top, instead of the previous locations, I get a near match for Simon's recommendation!

Bee

[Simon-372339]

Indeed I used the top of the roof as less interference from surrounding reflections, shadow effects etc.

Oh dear...another photo

Purely a guess is there a possibilty that the photo from railway herald was a work in progress, light grey roof/buffers being undercoat.

[LTSR_NSE]

@Simon that ‘in use’ photo isn’t showing a different colour scheme for either roof or buffers - but merely the change that diesel exhaust & use causes!

[Simon-372339]

Double failure on my part then, the photo I've referenced isn't marked parcels.

[What About The Bee]

Hello Simon

The image you present has an RGB color code of 61, 73, 85. This is far, far away from the other photograph.

Matt's referenced photo is from 1987; yours from 1988, per the captions. The captions indicated wrecks, implying repaint.

I have no illusions about which color is correct or appropriate. This isn't the railway of my interest, nor of its details. I simply was trying to get MattR to see a way forward for his image and color choices. Professionals use color codes. Color codes can be extracted, albeit with some variation as it is sampled.

The best approach would be to get the color code from the records, as it was painted. Failing that, sample the locomotive directly, if is available in the livery of interest, noting that colors fade over time. Failing that, a color image will do. Etc.

Each, in turn, will provide less fidelity. But unless absolute precision is demanded (example, a new advertisement requiring the specific corporate shades) a photo will be fairly close enough.

Perfect? Probably not.

And I do not think you "failed". You added valuable input to getting us closer to Matt's image and color. Even another photograph, albeit probably a repaint. Thank you!

Bee