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

[USRailFan]

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? Are there any records as to which units were the last in the various liveries?

 

[sprinterguy]

37408 went straight from BR large logo blue livery into EWS livery post-privatisation. There was also at least one class 31, 31467, which carried BR blue livery right up to withdrawal in the early years of EWS - There may have been others, and there have certainly been various class 08 shunters trundling around in tatty, faded BR blue livery well into privatisation (More recently, it seems that some 08s have been retrospectively painted back into the livery as a heritage scheme!).

56004 only ever carried one livery - BR blue - its whole life until it was cut up in 2006.

 

[pdeaves]

There are still some hopper wagons in National Power livery. Someone will be along soon to clarify whether they were delivered pre- or post-privatisation (never BR owned, of course, but still from that era).

 

[USRailFan]

There are still some hopper wagons in National Power livery. Someone will be along soon to clarify whether they were delivered pre- or post-privatisation (never BR owned, of course, but still from that era).

I would guess these would've been delivered at the same time as the National Power Class 59s? So sometime 1990-1992ish?

 

[yorksrob]

Plenty of departmental units knocking around in all-over blue in Kent at the time of privatisation (often former 4SUB's).

 

[cin88]

Used to see Edge Hill's 08 in BR blue and something else in a postal livery when I was at uni (2012-15). Not sure if they still are though. I do remember the blue 08 being quite tatty looking though.

 

[GW43125]

No idea if it was a repaint, but 37025 carried large logo BR blue until last year.

 

[Bertie the bus]

33051 was still BR blue at privatisation, as was 37116 though that had a Transrail big T on the side.

 

[USRailFan]

No idea if it was a repaint, but 37025 carried large logo BR blue until last year.

It still had Large Logo Blue in 1996, it seems: http://www.class37info.co.uk/imagepage.aspx?strnumber=dw37025&cf=gall so you might well be right

 

[USRailFan]

33051 was still BR blue at privatisation, as was 37116 though that had a Transrail big T on the side.

So 116 got Large Logo Blue then went back to BR Blue? Definately looks like it had Large Logo Blue in 1990: http://www.class37info.co.uk/imagepage.aspx?strnumber=rg37116&cf=gall

 

[sprinterguy]

I would guess these would've been delivered at the same time as the National Power Class 59s? So sometime 1990-1992ish?

The National Power class 59s (and hopper rakes) are more recent than that, they entered service in 1995. So they do just predate privatisation, being contemporary with the BR managed "shadow" Freight Operating Units Loadhaul, Mainline Freight and Transrail.

So 116 got Large Logo Blue then went back to BR Blue? Definately looks like it had Large Logo Blue in 1990: http://www.class37info.co.uk/imagepage.aspx?strnumber=rg37116&cf=gall

Yes, 37116 was an unusual and definitely unique repaint from BR large logo back into BR blue, albeit a non standard version with Transrail markings. As such, it could well be the last ever loco to be painted into BR blue while still under the auspices of BR?

No idea if it was a repaint, but 37025 carried large logo BR blue until last year.

37025 carried the vestiges of BR Large Logo blue (without the large logos) until withdrawal by EWS, but the large logo livery it returned to the mainline in was definitely a more recent repaint, not original BR condition. That said, it does mean it hasn't carried any livery other than large logo since BR days, albeit via an intermediate sojourn in preservation.

33051 was still BR blue at privatisation, as was 37116 though that had a Transrail big T on the side.

Ah, I had a feeling that there was also at least one class 33 that was still blue at the time of privatisation, cheers.

 

[Bertie the bus]

So 116 got Large Logo Blue then went back to BR Blue? Definately looks like it had Large Logo Blue in 1990: http://www.class37info.co.uk/imagepage.aspx?strnumber=rg37116&cf=gall

Yes. Pic of it in 1998: https://flic.kr/p/6W6ShS

 

[gg1]

When New Street was being rebuilt 1 platform at a time a few years ago, I saw an engineering wagon parked there with what I think was 1970s bauxite livery complete with the extremely faded outline of the Railfreight logo in use at the time.

 

[Journeyman]

A number of class 507 and 508 EMUs made it well into the nineties in blue and grey, and I'm certain they were the last fleets to retain this livery in service. I'm sure there were still some in blue and grey when the new structure came into operation in April 94, but not sure if any lasted until January 97 when operation passed to the private sector. I just googled and found a shot of 507 004 in blue and grey in May 96, though, so it got very close.

 

[yorksrob]

A number of class 507 and 508 EMUs made it well into the nineties in blue and grey, and I'm certain they were the last fleets to retain this livery in service. I'm sure there were still some in blue and grey when the new structure came into operation in April 94, but not sure if any lasted until January 97 when operation passed to the private sector. I just googled and found a shot of 507 004 in blue and grey in May 96, though, so it got very close.

I think some EPB's may have been soldiering on in blue/grey into 1994-5

 

[MatthewRead]

I think some EPB's may have been soldiering on in blue/grey into 1994-5

That's right my friend Aaron''s earliest memory is going one in that livery from Charing Cross to Lewisham.

 

[Harbornite]

No idea if it was a repaint, but 37025 carried large logo BR blue until last year.

It's still in LL blue, is it not?

 

[Harbornite]

Can't remember the numbers now but EWS ended up with two 47s in pre-sector liveries for sure, one in large logo blue and the other in Railfreight grey.

When New Street was being rebuilt 1 platform at a time a few years ago, I saw an engineering wagon parked there with what I think was 1970s bauxite livery complete with the extremely faded outline of the Railfreight logo in use at the time.

Never managed to see that one, I do remember the Dutch liveried vehicles but obviously that's from the sector era.

 

[Strathclyder]

37408 went straight from BR large logo blue livery into EWS livery post-privatisation. There was also at least one class 31, 31467, which carried BR blue livery right up to withdrawal in the early years of EWS - There may have been others.

It appears that quite a few 31/4s retained BR Blue up until & beyond 1996: 31432 (withdrawn 1996, not sure if it made it into EWS ownership or not), 31434 (lacking the BR logo on one side notwithstanding), 31450 & the aforementioned 31467.

 

[GW43125]

It's still in LL blue, is it not?

I thought I heard it had been repainted, however I’m happy to be proven wrong.

One thing I am sure of however is 37254 lost Intercity livery last year (I think it’s colas now)

 

[yorksrob]

That's right my friend Aaron''s earliest memory is going one in that livery from Charing Cross to Lewisham.

I remember racing them in CEP's between Orpington and London Bridge. Happy days !

 

[Harbornite]

I think some EPB's may have been soldiering on in blue/grey into 1994-5

Coincidentally I found a pic yesterday from 1994 of a BR blue/grey 304 at Crewe.

 

[Far north 37]

No idea if it was a repaint, but 37025 carried large logo BR blue until last year.

37025 was repainted into departamental grey then into the civil engineers dutch livery before it was repainted back into large logo blue in 1994 to coincide with inverness tmd losing it loco allocation.

 

[317362]

I know no-one is looking any more but 33051 was RF Construction (and 'Dutch')and repainted BR blue as a retro thing.

 

[dubscottie]

I think the last item of stock to be repainted in BR blue during normal repairs/overhaul (rather than as a special livery) was one of the class 20s overhauled at Doncaster for BRT about 1994ish. This was before the grey with green flashes livery was adopted.

 

[hexagon789]

Merseyrail 508s, just about

 

[Far north 37]

the loadhaul black/orange and mainline blue must of been two last of the last liveries loco's were repainted into before privitisation there still a few of these stored at toton

 

[David Goddard]

Coincidentally I found a pic yesterday from 1994 of a BR blue/grey 304 at Crewe.

I was going to suggest 304s but they had gone in March 1996 just before their TOCs were privatised

 

[USRailFan]

the loadhaul black/orange and mainline blue must of been two last of the last liveries loco's were repainted into before privitisation there still a few of these stored at toton

Those liveries weren't pre-sectorisation though...
(Pre-sectorisation: Before the creation of Network Southeast, Railfreight Distribution, etc)

 

[D2007wsm]

A lot of the Wales & West fleet survived in Regional Rail livery and internal condition for sometime, many until they were repainted and refurbished by Wessex trains.