Photo Source For Experimental Purple A4 Photos

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Peter is building "Merlin" and wishes that the engine is finished in the experimental purple livery which was carried by four A4 engines from 1948-1950. I have been talking to the person who is going to paint the engine about sources of suitable photographic information... hence my recent post about The Transport Treasury. The need is for broadside and three-quarter rear images of any of the "Purple four"... being:-

[1] 60024;
[2] 60027;
[3] 60028;
[4] 60029.

Whilst the preference is for colour images I am interested in any black and white photos of the above engines in the period 1948-1950 (hint... tender side carried "British Railways" in full and was lined as a single panel). So to the questions:-

[1] apart from Transport Treasury, what other photographic collections are worth investigating?

[2] the Colour-Rail collection includes an image of 60028 in Purple... the rendition of this image in Backtrack (Vol 1. issue 3) and in Railway Liveries by Haresnape appears too light and too blue for the written description of the purple livery. If anyone has purchased this slide from Colour-Rail then please offer an opinion as to the reproduction in the book versus the slide.

thank you, Graham
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Graham,

I'm not sure if you already have it but there is a picture of 60028 at Grantham in that livery in ' Eastern Steam I'm Colour ' by Hugh Ballantyne. The picture is dated 26th June 1948 and the camera and film used are a Kodak Retina I 3.5 Ektar Kodachrome. I have two copies if you would like one ?

ATB Mick
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Hello Mick,

What does the book say about either the photographer or an acknowledgement for use of the photo?

thank you, Graham
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
A real long shot here... or as Adrian might say - way out left field. Might anyone know if Doncaster ever produced a diagram to show the location of the parabolic curve on the A4?

thanks, Graham
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
The photographer was J M Jarvis...

Thank you for that information. Jarvis is the photographer who took the image which is now part of the Colour-Rail collection so there is a good chance that the image in your book is the same image as published in the books which I cite in an earlier post.

regards, Graham
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Thank you for that information. Jarvis is the photographer who took the image which is now part of the Colour-Rail collection so there is a good chance that the image in your book is the same image as published in the books which I cite in an earlier post.

regards, Graham

No bother at all, if you want the book I'll post it off. The binder is coming away a bit and it's well thumbed so free to a good home if any use?

ATB Mick
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
A4 in BR Ultramarine Blue.jpg Was'nt the BR "Purple" known as Ultramarine Blue ? Wich I have recolection is /was GER Royal Blue.
Blue paints did fade quickly and may be why it took on a purple tint.
B.S. 381 C 106 is the nearest modern colour, don't ask how I know that but I have it written down in a file.:rolleyes:

Col.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
This is the same image as the Colour-Rail slide which I mentioned originally... how does this image compare to the experimental purple livery as applied to the four A4s in 1948?

Graham,
I does seem that photo's of the livery are hard to source if there are that many around. How this colour reproduces in print is another matter, and the light reflecting off the loco affects it all too. Not having been around to see the prototype I couldn't how close a match this photo is,
I wonder if the NRM have anything Graham ?

Col.
 

Buckjumper

Flying Squad
Allowing for degradation of the photo of the A3 - which is considerable - along with the high colour temperature present in the overcast sky against the the dark satanic bowels of the NRM roundhouse and all the problems photographing in there brings, if you take the cylinder casing on the A3 which appears to least affected by shadow or reflection, I bet you'll find the actual colour isn't too far off what's applied to this.
 
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