NER signal box colours

[euryalus]

I have just been looking at a railway modelling site, and it appears that the North Eastern Railway building livery was brown and cream - the brown being a sort of dark red oxide. The LNER used brown and cream until the later 1930s, when they changed to green and cream.

[Mike Hodgson]

Modelling books are usually a good source for colour information.
According to "Signalling" by Nigel Digby (published 2010), the colours were :

NER Buff including glazing bars and red-brown.
LNER Stone & brown until 1937 when stone & green was introduced
BR(NER) Ivory (light grey) & Oriental Blue (sky blue)

The book also gives colours for most of the other major companies from pre-grouping to BR regions, but no mention is made of the interior paintwork, but lever colours for the NER are shown here https://signalbox.org/frames/nercolours.htm

This site is included in the credits as the first in a list of useful websites.

[euryalus]

That would seem to be the definitive answer!

[John Hinson]

Modelling books are usually a good source for colour information.
According to "Signalling" by Nigel Digby (published 2010), the colours were :

NER Buff including glazing bars and red-brown.
LNER Stone & brown until 1937 when stone & green was introduced
BR(NER) Ivory (light grey) & Oriental Blue (sky blue)

Many thanks indeed, Mike, appreciated. Couldn't ask for more . . .

John

[Mackay]

There is a description of the NER colour scheme(s) on pages 221 & 222 of the NER Signalling History. On p 95 there is a Colour-Rail photo of Kirbymoorside, taken in 1937 but with what we assume to be NER colours.

Although many cabins had dark brown corner posts and window frames this was by no means universal and, as the NER used contractors to paint its structures, it is evident that there was some scope for interpretation of the painting schedule. The height of the dark brown area on interior walls appears to have varied, as does the width of the black line above it. Cabins were repainted at the same time as other structures on the line, which could be at rather infrequent intervals. NER paint schemes lasted until at least the 1930s. The Kirbymoorside colours appear to be similar to the early LNER specification:
Outside of doors,
window and door frames: dark brown*
Window sashes: deep cream
Stairs: dark brown
Gutters, spouts, downpipes: dark brown or deep cream depending on background
Ironwork: black
Inside walls: dark brown to sill level, 1½ inch black line, then deep cream
Ceilings: white
* there is photographic evidence to support white/deep cream window frames.

Wooden cabins - and other buildings - had the bottom 4 feet 6 inches or so painted dark brown with a 1 inch band separating it from the light colour. However, as noted on p 222 there were several all-timber NER cabins which appear to have been either painted black, or creosoted (Allerton Main, Cowton, Stokesley, Wetherby East, Lingdale). These had white or off-white window frames and sashes.

NER cabin nameboards were dark blue enamel with white lettering until the system-wide chocolate and cream ones (matching other signs and station running-in nameboards) appeared in the early 20th century. Nameboards were placed on the front of the cabin. The LNER (GNR) style timber nameboards on the cabin ends had white letters on a black ground (eg Kirbymoorside) or black letters on a white ground. Some BR NEReg cabin nameboards (LNER pattern) were repainted with white letters on a tangerine background, a thin white border to the tangerine, and black edges.

Hope this is of interest.
Neil

[John Hinson]

Many thanks, Neil,

I was going to look at your book, honest Guv, but hadn't found the time yet . . .

J

[Mackay]

John, does this answer your earlier direct email question about a certain timber cabin on the North Yorkshire & Cleveland line?

[John Hinson]

Yes indeed it does, thanks. It seemed inappropriate to mention the location publicly on a forum - with aologies to all who are agog to gallop there with their cameras.

Best regards,

John

[howard9f]

Kirkham Abbey and Falsgrave signal boxes on the York-Scarborough line have been refurbished in recent years to reflect the BR NE region era, and they are panted in white and China Blue, if this helps. I remember in the early 1970's in what was the north eastern region (NE and E regions merged in 1967), station buildings and signal boxes in the Hull area were painted in what was described by some railway men as an Army Kharki colour.

[John Hinson]

Thanks, that is interesting. "China Blue" sounds as if that is the same (or similar) to the station colours at Grosmont.

Best regards,

John

[howard9f]

Hi John, Yes you are right, the Grosmont Crossing SB is painted in these colours. I believe the blue was called 'china blue'
Kind regards, Howard

[MichaelT]

I think the definitive clue to NER (as opposed to BR (NE)) colours lies in the 'heritage' repainting of some signal boxes between Newcastle and Carlisle, notably the 'bridge girder' boxes at Wylam and Hexham, they carry now the distinctive NE 'metal oxide brownish red' and off white livery . Previously they carried, for many years, the BR (NE) pale blue (not to be confused with Sc Region or Eastern Region blues) with tangerine signage. I am not old enough to remember how they looked in L&NER days but I do recall that in the 60s the former L&NER Scottish Area stations which had not been repainted since nationalisation carried a darkish green and cream livery. So far as the brownish red colouring of NER signal boxes and other wooden structures is concerned, apart from present evidence of the N&C route, I also recall listening in childhood to conversations between our family Doctor (a keen railway enthusiast born in 1889) and my father, born 1910, about appropriate colouring for railway modelling and their agreeing that reddish brown was principal the colour for NER woodwork.
Personally, I have always thought that one of the better results of the merger of the NE E Regions of BR was the 'death' of that ghastly pale blue and tangerine!
Michael T