Colour of the Flying Scotsman Locomotive - 1928 livery

[Sytam]

I'm in the process of building a scale model of the 1928 Flying Scotsman Locomotive and are wondering if you have details of the shade of Green paint used back then. Is there a Pantone Matching System (PMS) colour available? I would be most appreciative on any information you could forward to me.
Thanks
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[Atlantic 3279]

If I am correctly informed, then the shade of "Doncaster Green" enamel sold by Phoenix Precison Paints is matched to the original. It is a highly subjective matter, but I find this colour to be alarmingly variable according to lighting conditions, looking hopelessly dark on a small model under subdued daylight or household incandescent lights, especially wheen fully gloss-finished. It only seems to take on the right appearance in full daylight, or with a dull / slightly weathered finish, or (of course) when seen on a full size steam loco!

To my eye, Railmatch Doncaster Green straight out of the jar (sprayed) gives a low-sheen finish that is all but identical to a dulled and slightly weathered treatment of the Phoenix Precison colour.

[52D]

I second Atlantics comments above. LNER green was variable to say the least but he makes good constructive advice.

[Autocar Publicity]

Sometimes a colour can be technically 'correct' but just looks wrong. There is a theory about 'scale' colour which sounds plausible to me - basically you sometimes need to alter the shading and/or lightness/darkness of the colour of the real thing to obtain an aesthetically pleasing model.

I too have had a "horror" moment with 'green', though with a model hedge on a diorama viewed alternately in daylight and artificial light rather than rolling stock. I would advise most fervently that modellers always paint their creations in the light they will be seen in...

[Atlantic 3279]

Although we're getting off the main theme of "is the correct colour of paint available", for completeness I may as well add that the presence of the correct black and white lining makes a further appreciable difference to the interpretation of the basic green colour. A "very questionable" looking basic green shade has more than once started to look "right" to me once the lining was applied.

[richard]

I think it should also be noted that the RTR manufacturers in the smaller scales also have quite a variation in shade of green. I have yet to put my Dapol B17 next to my Farish A3, but I know neither matches my Union Mills B12/3 which is almost olive!

Modern models from Dapol & Farish also significantly differ in their interpretation of "BR blood and custard".


Richard

[52D]

Further too Atlantics comments about lining i have seen white and a sort of cream colour used.
Even on 12 inches to the foot scale Darlo and Donny could not agree about colour schemes.

[chaz harrison]

Richard,

Olive? I have seen a colour picture of an A3 (Trigo I think) in LNER livery which looks distinctly olive. Now maybe it was the film-stock or was it the influence of the oily rag?

In any case I suspect that pre-war colours were much less uniform. Maybe someone who has worked in a railway paint-shop could comment?

Chaz