B1 Nameplates Red or Black?

[STU1964]

Could anyone give me a rule of thumb regarding B1 nameplate colours? I have a model of 61010 Wildebeeste which has a red nameplate - just seems wrong to me. Having seen Mayflower, Impala and Chiru on the NYMR all with black nameplates I'm tempted to change the ones on 61010.

thanks in advance for any help

Stuart

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

There seems to be no pattern to the colour. It should be a red background to BR plates but it wasn't always. Top Shed, for example, painted all it's nameplates with a black background following requests from photographers. Swindon painted plates with a black background but then you get some real oddballs.

See if you can find a colour picture of Wildebeeste at the time you intend your model to represent is the only advice I can give although a swift Google has returned either black and white or model pictures.

However, remember Rule 1 of railway modelling - It is my railway!

[Postman Prat]

Best I can offer is that I can only remember seeing them Black, both 'in the flesh' and also as photographs. Hope this helps.

[ten ten]

My fading memory says 61010 had black background nameplates.

[Solario]

Wildebeeste was a regular sight passing the bottom of our garden (near Hull) & like PP & TT, I have no recollection of the plates being red.

I seem to remember that one or two of the local D49s had a red background to their plates.

Hope this helps.

[bricam5]

1010 was stabled at Hull Botanic and while I was stationed there as a fireman, at no time did it have red plates either in LNER days or BR days.

[STU1964]

Thanks for replies folks - most helpful. Looks like Bachmann got it wrong, and the nameplate company who makes them in red too. Mine will be black very shortly.

thanks again

Stuart

[STU1964]

Bachmann B1 Wildebeeste now with black nameplates. Have covered up the offending red originals with black versions. I made these in Corel Draw and printed them onto self adhesive photo paper.

[52D]

Nice bit of work Stu.