GN off white s/boxes?

[Mickey]

This is just an observation from memory of the then existing wooden Great Northern Railway signal boxes that were painted in a all over white'ish colour (except for there slate roofs) that were still in operation during the mid/late 1960s and into the early 1970s. I believe all wooden Great Northern Railway signal boxes that were built were built by different local contractors along the main line route out of Kings Cross to certain standard design features the following list of boxes between Kings Cross & Fletton Junction just south of Peterborough North station that were all wooden and painted in a all over white'ish colour included-

Belle Isle Up
Ashburton Grove
Ferme Park South Down
Ferme Park South Up
Hornsey No.1
Hornsey No.2
Wood Green Up Box No.4
Bounds Green (located on the Enfield lines north of Wood Green station)
Cemetery (formerly Cemetery Up)
Marshmoor
Hatfield No.1 (formerly No.4)
Hatfield No.3
Woolmer Green
Stevenage North
Three Counties
Everton
Tempsford
st Neots (formerly st Neots South)
Offord
Huntingdon North No.1
Abbots Ripton
Yaxley
Fletton Junction

Mickey

* * *Topic heading amended to GN off white s/boxes* * *

[Mickey]

The only s/boxes between Peterborough North station & Doncaster station that may qualify to be in the above list (from vague memory?) could be-
New England 'A' Shunting Frame (north of Peterborough North station)
Lolham (between Werrington Junction & Tallington)
Botany Bay (north of Retford between Babworth & Ranskill)
Lovershall Carr (between Rossington & Black Carr Junction south of Doncaster)
Potteric Carr (between Black Carr Junction & Decoy No.2 south of Doncaster)
Doncaster 'C' Box standing on the Down side of the Down goods & yard lines at the back of Doncaster station)

Mickey

[65447]

This is just an observation from memory of the then existing wooden Great Northern Railway signal boxes that were painted in a all over white'ish colour (except for there slate roofs) that were still in operation during the mid/late 1960s and into the early 1970s. I believe all wooden Great Northern Railway signal boxes that were built were built by different local contractors along the main line route out of Kings Cross to certain standard design features the following list of boxes between Kings Cross & Fletton Junction just south of Peterborough North station that were all wooden and painted in a all over white'ish colour included (list removed)

Painted 'whitish' when? - When first built, under GNR, under one of the LNER schemes (no 'whitish' in them), under British Railways, under British Rail???

[Mickey]

Painted 'whitish' when? - When first built, under GNR, under one of the LNER schemes (no 'whitish' in them), under British Railways, under British Rail???

Good quetion 65447. The s/box names mentioned on my list appeared to be painted in a white'ish matt colour under british railways during the 1960s & early 1970s (probably the 1950s as well?) and always the all wooden boxes. I don't know the 'official' name of this white'ish matt colour that they appeared to be painted in but when most of these boxes were built back in the 1880s & 1890s I presume they were probably painted in a official GNR colour scheme?.

Mickey

[65447]

Under the GNR and early (1923) LNER schemes the structural woodwork would have been painted as follows: cladding dark brown base (up to about 4') with remainder above light stone, separated by a narrow black band, with framing etc. in dark stone;

Under the next (1930) LNER scheme the base was still dark brown, light stone was replaced by deep cream, with framing etc. in light brown;

Under the final (1937) LNER scheme the dark brown was replaced by deep Brunswick green while the remainder could be either light stone or deep cream, with framing etc. also deep Brunswick green;

British Railways official colours for the Eastern Region was Oxford blue and a light cream but as most SBs and other buildings would have been repainted relatively recently in the last LNER scheme that was generally retained.

Under British Rail and later the scheme colours were up to the Regional Architect and it's possible that the main body of an off-white colour derived then.

More information here http://www.stationcolours.info/index.php?p=1_4_LNER BUT beware of preservationist interpretations that are not necessarily accurate for the period/style they are supposed to represent. Also the creator of that site still insists on incorrectly naming 'Brunswick' as 'Buckingham'.

Prior to British Rail the colours were those that eventually were specified from 1930 under BS381; under British Rail the colour palette was changed to BS4800.

A good source is obviously colour photographs from the period, remembering that colour shift in the slides/film, developing/paper and rendering in print all modified the perceived colour, as did weathering, light conditions, etc.

[Mickey]

Under British Rail and later the scheme colours were up to the Regional Architect and it's possible that the main body of an off-white colour derived then.

Thats what I meant to imply 65447 the 'off white' colour scheme that was usually to be found on GN 'all wooden' s/boxes such as Hornsey No.1, Wood Green Up Box No.4 & Hatfield No.1 as well as others that I previously mentioned on my list also I should have used the term 'off white' as well it sounds better and thanks for the rest of your post it's interesting, by the way I actually liked that 'off white' colour scheme on those s/boxes that I mentioned on my list.

Mickey

[Mickey]

Here is an example of a 'off white' painted s/box this one is of Everton box that was situated on the Down side of the running lines between Sandy & Tempsford s/boxes along the Hitchin-Peterborough stretch of the GN main line, the box was closed around the summer of 1976. The building being built along side the old Everton box replaced it in 1976 when the old box was closed.

www.UKrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Evertonsignalbox.html

Mickey