The Great Western Railway had made extensive use of green as its primary livery colour for many years, with only the most menial of engines painted black. During the war years, however, black had been applied to many freight and shunting engines. Prior to the war, the ‘shirt button’ logo had been applied but this was replaced on express passenger engines by the letters G and W either side of the Great Western coat of arms, always on green paint. This scheme can be discerned on ‘Castle’ No. 5054. All engines carried a number painted on the front bufferbeam.
P. HUGHES/COLOUR RAIL
Above: Mixed traffic types, such as the ‘43XX’ and ‘5101’ classes reverted to green after the war, with other classes remaining black. Upon repainting, each received the GWR lettering on the tender or tank sides, such as seen on No. 5414 at West Ruislip. It should be noted that some engines retained the ‘shirt button’ logo right through to 1948.
R. OAKLEY/COLOUR RAIL