jwealleans wrote:I'm not sure when it happened, but didn't ends start being painted body colour when stock started to be spray painted? Way off Vernon's' original query, but alluded to in the post above.
For the Non-vestibuled steel panelled stock built in 1938, finished in simulated teak, the ends were still to be painted black. The only differences otherwise were the use of a primer for steel and finishing with a synthetic varnish.
Under BR the ends of all coaching stock continued to be painted black until c1964/5, just before the British Rail Corporate rail blue/rail grey or plain rail blue was introduced.