TPO liveries in the 1950s/60s

[MattR]

Morning all
I was just wondering if any one could help me out with liveries in between company colours and the blue-grey era. I model a TPO theme on my layout and, though my era is mainly the 70s and 80s, I like to run occasional late sixties and early seventies TPOs using old company rolling stock. I have a number of ex-GWR and LMS TPOs, but does anyone know what liveries they would have sported before being outshopped in blue and grey in the late 60s/early 70s, if they survived that long (and I know some did). Would it have been signal red, or would they have just kept their old company colours, or a combo of both? I've seen some black and white photos of TPOs in the 50s and 60s, and as far as I can tell they were all red of some description, possibly BR maroon and/or signal red (hard to tell from b&w photos!)

Thanks

Matt

[threelink]

I claim no expertise but I think PO vehicles were liveried in PO red during the period you mention, with the possible exception of the Western Region, which had a habit of doing its own thing with liveries.

[Going Spare]

Bachmann quote their era 5 Mk1 TPO vehicles as being in Post Office red before adopting blue & grey in era 7 and then Royal Mail red with lower bodyside yellow stipes for era 8.

[Rana Temporia]

Which mail coaches had side corridors as per the early Tri-ang model? I believe this was correct for some and sure I have seen a video of a prototype with this feature. I think all other models have had central corridor connections. 

[Going Spare]

According to RCTS images, at least the Great Western, London Midland and Southern Railways built side corridor sorting & stowage vans, most of which lasted well in to BR blue/grey days.  The LNER vans are not illustrated on the site I found.  Conversely, BR vans appear to be only centre-gangwayed.  The Tri-ang model has an LMS look to my eyes.   

[Loewietje]

LNER dia 131, 164 and 165 TPO had side corridors, as afaik, the GNR/LNER dia 310 stowage van. If and when these were replaced or removed, I can not say.

[threelink]

I think I read somewhere that all pre-nationalisation TPOs had side corridor connectors.