🚀 go-pugleaf

When we think of colours of 38 class do we think that the existing
colour painted on 3801 or 3830 are THE colours?  Are we really being
pedantick about what really is a non issue as paint pigments change
over time, & even when new technologies are used the apints are not the
same as ones of years ago.  Remember that paints prior to the 70's were
primarilly lead based especially for gloss colours.

I remember 3801 ex workshops in the 60's, as it ran on the special to
bring it back from Cardiff & having worked on it as a fireman, it
seemed to be a darker green than it is now.

Historic colours? again what are they?  3830 was painted in an "apple
or olive" type green for years, & I thought it a very good colour &
suited the engine.  I have seen photo's of 3803 in green, that does not
look anything like the Verdant green commonly said to be THE green used
on all streamliners.  In fact the green is even different to what the
more common green of the non streamliners had.  I have a photo of 3813
at MossVale in what looks to be different than the common green as
well.

Being new to the group, I do not know the background or older postings
on engine colourings, but I have seen a lot of good comments elsewhere
that applauded when 3801 was released in black, the same laudists also
with 3526 now in black.  Who called for 3609 & then 3642 to be painted
in the colour green they are in now, especially when no belpair pig was
painted green? If they wanted them green surelly a green that were
painted in would be good as a representative of that era.

Maybe some way to see what might or might be wrong is to put 3609 &
3801 side by side & compare the colours, as I am sure there MIGHT be a
difference shown.  3609 was painted years ago in Verdant green, I do
not know however if it has been repainted since.

One further point on colours, steam engines painted in black were given
a coating of what was called engine black, 3823 received a class 3
overhaul at Enfield in the mid 50's prior to being allocated to
Lithgow.  As no standard engine black was available in sufficient
quantities, an order was issued to enable sufficient Dulux High Gloss
Exterior Paint to be sourced locally, it was then painted in that
colour.

It looked magnificent however, they also painted the interior of the
cab in the same colour. On one hot night it was given a trial to
Goulburn on 309sth. The following day it was suject to complaints owing
to the extreme glare that was reflected off the tender to the crew. The
cab internals were then coated in a dull black to overcome the situation