KNOW YOUR… LIVERIES
Above: All of the Swindon-built ‘Warships’ – and most of those from North British – entered traffic in ‘Standard’ BR green relieved by an off-white stripe along the bodyside and GWR-style red route disc applied below the number. Having recently entered traffic, D829 Magpie is seen at Truro in May 1961.
COLOUR RAIL
The Swindon-built ‘Warships’ (Class 42) and their North British lookalikes (Class 43) are perhaps one of the most challenging of any class of BR diesels when it comes to getting the livery correct, with countless small but important variations across the fleet.
The lightweight diesel hydraulic design was chosen over North British Locomotive’s (NBL) much heavier D600s to be the frontline power on the Western Region, until supplanted by the more powerful ‘Westerns’. The first three locomotives emerged from Swindon Works in 1958 before orders were duly placed for a further 68 examples. Assembly would be split between Swindon and the North British works in Glasgow, with the latter building D833-65.