A green K1

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

In which case I would commend you to a copy of either OS Nock's Gresley Pacifics or Brian Haresnape's Gresley Locomotives and a good magnifier.

Both black and white appear dead on a monochrome picture. Any other colour has a luminosity. The Loveless model is correct for the loco as rebuilt in 1930. The cylinder shape was altered and the front end gallery rail added with the frames and wheels painted grey but look carefully at the works photos from 1929 under magnification - you will get a surprise. I did!

[Green Nigel]

I have looked through Haresnape and can't find the photo you refer too, can I have a page number please. I must say the photo reproduction in that book is really poor. I have seen the original photos from the Ken Hoole collection but I do not recall the photo you describe, when you say 'when built', do mean under construction or as finished?.

[S.A.C. Martin]

It is quite clear from its works photograph that it was painted all one colour when outshopped, as seen here on the LNER encyclopedia page. Accepted, the sloping smokebox front appears to be black, but the outside cladding, smoke deflectors, wheels and tender are all the same uniform colour.

Why, given it had a very short working life, most of it when in its original form, in the works, would it be painted other than the dark battleship grey which many railway historians, time keepers, and even Gresley are quoted in various publications as wearing?

I once, when younger, on the strength of a cigarette card of the time (!) believed it had worn apple green. The truth is somewhat different, the cigarette card was based on a photograph of the W1 and had been recoloured to stand out more than its dark grey prototype!

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

The piccie on the LNER website is one I haven't seen. Black front, cab roof tender roof and frames but grey wheels. A new one on me. However, there is a picture in LNER reflections which may confirm - there's a lot of reflection from low down. No page numbers in the book, sadly.

http://www.ssplprints.com/image/401050/ ... n-dar-1025

That's the piccie I've seen and analysed - now where did I see it?

EDIT! Hold the phone! That's got the later cylinders and handrail across the front end.

I'll go and lie down - I'm hopelessly confused!

[Green Nigel]

If you showed both these photographs to someone who had never seen the Hush Hush, I doubt they would be able to tell
you much about the livery of the locomotive. I'll go with the historical records, words paint a thousand pictures!.