Last locos/units in BR era liveries .

[Merseyrailfan]

When was the last BR era livery. Looking on Flickr, it seems NSE/Regional Railways livery lasted until mid 2000s. Did I miss any survivors?

 

[JonathanH]

When Was the last BR era livery. Looking on Flickr, it seems NSE/Regional Railways livery lasted until mid 2000s. Did I miss any survivors?

There is some discussion here about the end of blue-grey.

How long did the BR Blue & Grey livery last for?

Hello there, A rather odd topic, but none the less intriguing for myself... I've been watching a few 'anorak' type videos on YouTube recently, and to my surprise I came across EMUs in BR Blue & Grey livery as late as 1996, freshly into the privatisation era. The units were Class 304s on the...

www.railforums.co.uk

and here

Did any stock survive in the pre-sectorisation liveries until privatisation?

Looking at sites such as Flickr and Youtube, it seems a fair amount of locomotives and stock still remained in BR Blue/Blue White/Large Logo Blue or the pre-sectorisation Railfreight liveries in the early 1990s. Did any stock survive up to privatisation - and longer - in any of these liveries...

www.railforums.co.uk

NSE colours went well into the mid 2000s on slam door stock and networkers.

Last use of different liveries, and newest units to use blue/grey

A couple of related points here. Namely, when were the last uses of various liveries from the BR years? I do remember many liveries lasted well beyond their "official" replacement. For example older units (EPBs, HAPs) were still using BR Blue as late as 1983, possibly into 1984, well after...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Cowley]

There is some discussion here about the end of blue-grey.

How long did the BR Blue & Grey livery last for?

Hello there, A rather odd topic, but none the less intriguing for myself... I've been watching a few 'anorak' type videos on YouTube recently, and to my surprise I came across EMUs in BR Blue & Grey livery as late as 1996, freshly into the privatisation era. The units were Class 304s on the...

www.railforums.co.uk

and here

Did any stock survive in the pre-sectorisation liveries until privatisation?

Looking at sites such as Flickr and Youtube, it seems a fair amount of locomotives and stock still remained in BR Blue/Blue White/Large Logo Blue or the pre-sectorisation Railfreight liveries in the early 1990s. Did any stock survive up to privatisation - and longer - in any of these liveries...

www.railforums.co.uk

NSE colours went well into the mid 2000s on slam door stock and networkers.

Last use of different liveries, and newest units to use blue/grey

A couple of related points here. Namely, when were the last uses of various liveries from the BR years? I do remember many liveries lasted well beyond their "official" replacement. For example older units (EPBs, HAPs) were still using BR Blue as late as 1983, possibly into 1984, well after...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks for linking those. I started one a few years ago on a similar subject as well:

Longest lasting liveries.

I was looking at a photo recently of a 73/9 on a driver training service in Scotland which included in the consist an Intercity liveried mk2 aircon which made me think: What livery has lasted the longest with no break (i.e with no modern heritage repaints') If you say that Intercity first...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[james60059]

60054 retained it's Trainload Petroleum livery until it was overhauled as a "Super 60". Mid-2010's IIRC

 

[SeanG]

I think that the last sprinter in Regional Railways livery was in 2008 with EMT

 

[Strathclyder]

Strathclyde Orange/Black lasted until November 2006 on a Class 314 (314202); it had debuted in 1983 on a Class 303. 202 wasn't the only member of the class still to carry this livery when First took over the ScotRail franchise from National Express in October 2004 (there were at least 2 or 3 others IIRC), but 202 outlasted them by a notable margin. Some members of the class had been repainted twice by this time, from the original Carmine/Cream variant from 1996 (with the black/gold borders and the SPT 'Flash' logo) into the revised variant (lacking the black/gold borders, with the later SPT Rail logo and with full cream doors).

FScR 314202, Glasgow Central

First ScotRail 314202 in SPT orange and black stands at Glasgow Central

www.flickr.com

(314202 at Glasgow Central - 19th October 2006. Note the refurbished/rebuilt Class 318 in the adjecent platform. Copyright of Flickr's Ewan aka maccookie)

 

[L+Y]

Here's a few 92s in BR grey, photoed in February 2023!

 

[nw1]

Don't know if this counts but this photo with a blue-and-grey Sandite unit, in passenger service, was posted on the current "101s in Manchester 1997-2003" thread, from November 1998.

It's a Sandite unit so maybe not, but anyway:

Class 101 DMU at Cheadle Hulme

The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.

www.railcar.co.uk

 

[Western 52]

Anyone know what the last vehicle to run in BR blue and grey was on the national network in normal service? A 507 or 508 maybe?

 

[Strathclyder]

Anyone know what the last vehicle to run in BR blue and grey was on the national network in normal service? A 507 or 508 maybe?

The last Cross-City 304s are a decent shout as far as EMUs are concerned. Last examples were withdrawn in March 1996.

The Way We Were: Cross City Line 304s

A covering of the white-stuff at Shenstone on 27th January 1996, as Class 304 No. 304017 heads down the bank from Wall while fiorming a Lichfield Trent Valley - Redditch service. Copyright Photograph john Whitehouse - all rights reserved

www.flickr.com

(304017 passes Shenstone with a Lichfield Trent Valley - Redditch service - 27th January 1996. Photo by Flickr's John Whitehouse)

As already noted though, a previous thread on this subject seemed to narrow it down to a 507/508 sometime in late 1996/early 1997.

 

[Clarence Yard]

The blue and grey thread linked earlier in this discussion seems to have narrowed it down to a 507/508 unit sometime in late 1996, early 1997. Also mentioned are the individual units that could have been the last.

 

[Irascible]

Here's a few 92s in BR grey, photoed in February 2023!

Are there any 60s left also?

 

[Intercity110]

Are there any 60s left also?

some on the toton scrap line i believe, although with large EWS body-side logos.

 

[Strathclyder]

Are there any 60s left also?

Some of the examples in the deadline at Toton still have it (with the large yellow backed EWS logos). None of the active ones retain it; can't remember which one was the last to run on the mainline.

 

[DanNCL]

The only operational 92 left in BR Grey without a large EWS logo is 92044 with GBRF, which is one of the three pictured in the link a few posts back. Other 92s remain in BR Grey with EWS logos, both in the UK and in Bulgaria/Romania.

BR Grey survived on some of the operational Freightliner 90s until quite recently. 2020?

I would assume that retro repaints don't count, therefore discounting the likes of 91119, 313201 and the many large logo 37s which have all carried privatisation liveries in the past.

Do PTE liveries that were used by BR surviving on non-BR stock count? If so, T&WPTE livery survived until 2017 on 4001 on the Tyne & Wear Metro. All other Metro units had lost it no later than 2002, I suspect even earlier.

 

[sprinterguy]

Do PTE liveries that were used by BR surviving on non-BR stock count? If so, T&WPTE livery survived until 2017 on 4001 on the Tyne & Wear Metro. All other Metro units had lost it no later than 2002, I suspect even earlier.

The last TWPTE yellow liveried Metrocar went in 2000 at the end of the half-life refurbishment programme. The livery applied to 4001 was a heritage repaint from around that time intended to represent the livery it first wore as a prototype: During the eighties and nineties it carried both iterations of the squadron Metro livery.

Some of the examples in the deadline at Toton still have it (with the large yellow backed EWS logos). None of the active ones retain it; can't remember which one was the last to run on the mainline.

60054 was the last active example as far as I'm aware and as noted by james60059 further up this thread, with Petroleum sector decals: Somehow, it managed to avoid the EWS 'big beastie' stickers.

 

[Strathclyder]

60054 was the last active example as far as I'm aware and as noted by james60059 further up this thread, with Petroleum sector decals: Somehow, it managed to avoid the EWS 'big beastie' stickers.

I missed that post somehow. Digging into Flickr, 054 was repainted in October 2011 after emerging from refurbishment.

 

[prod_pep]

Merseyrail was amongst the last places on the network to retain BR blue and grey livery, with the last units repainted in early 1997 as far as I can tell. The Merseyside 507/8s were still receiving fresh coats of blue and grey as late as summer 1991.

Having looked at a few different records, it looks almost certain that 508139 was the last Merseyrail unit to retain blue and grey, with 507004 the last 507 repainted a month or two before 508139. I'd be really grateful for a definitive date the last 507/8s in blue and grey succumbed if anyone is aware.

Strathclyde Orange/Black lasted until November 2006 on a Class 314 (314202); it had debuted in 1983 on a Class 303. 202 wasn't the only member of the class still to carry this livery when First took over the ScotRail franchise from National Express in October 2004 (there were at least 2 or 3 others IIRC), but 202 outlasted them by a notable margin. Some members of the class had been repainted twice by this time, from the original Carmine/Cream variant from 1996 (with the black/gold borders and the SPT 'Flash' logo) into the revised variant (lacking the black/gold borders, with the later SPT Rail logo and with full cream doors).

The 314s were I think the last units to receive fresh coats of Strathclyde Red (orange and black) livery, with 314207 the last recipient just a month or so before 314215 became the first of the class in SPT crimson and cream in September 1997. This would partly explain why the old livery endured for so long on some of the 314s.

There were six as I recall that retained Strathclyde Red years longer than the others: 201, 202, 207, 209, 213 and 214. Subsequently 209 was the first to receive the revised SPT livery around February 2004 and the rest gradually followed: 214, 213, 207 and 201, leaving 202 as the final carrier. It looks as if 202 survived for nearly a full year beyond the penultimate carrier, 201.

 

[Strathclyder]

The 314s were I think the last units to receive fresh coats of Strathclyde Red (orange and black) livery, with 314207 the last recipient just a month or so before 314215 became the first of the class in SPT crimson and cream in September 1997. This would partly explain why the old livery endured for so long on some of the 314s.

There were six as I recall that retained Strathclyde Red years longer than the others: 201, 202, 207, 209, 213 and 214. Subsequently 209 was the first to receive the revised SPT livery around February 2004 and the rest gradually followed: 214, 213, 207 and 201, leaving 202 as the final carrier. It looks as if 202 survived for nearly a full year beyond the penultimate carrier, 201.

Thought I'd replied to this already.

That certainly helps explain why Orange/Black lasted as long as it did. I presume the long-term holdouts - 2003 onwards - you list were the last ones to get a fresh coat of O/B. I would question why given that Carmine/Cream had been around in one form or another for over a year by the time 207 got it's last O/B refresh (on 156433 and the variants trialled on the 320/3s), but I suppose there was still some orange & black paint tins to be used up!

Sticking with Orange/Black, I wonder which fleet was the first to lose it entirely in favour of Carmine/Cream? I'm thinking the Strathclyde 156s (501-514) or the 318s. The 101s (692 being the obvious outlier) and the majority of the remaining 303s (barring the 4 that got Carmine/Cream) don't really count here (more the latter than the former), as they were transferred south/withdrawn & withdrawn still wearing O/B respectively. Saying that, one of the transferred Strathclyde 101s was the middle unit in the 101 farewell tour in December 2003.

 

[Mat17]

Half of 101680 was freshly repainted into full Regional Railways livery and branding in late 2001/early 2002 - replacing it's earlier Strathclyde livery.

 

[RPI]

153311 (I think, may have been 312) was still in Regional Railways livery around 2005