GWR green

May I prevail upon any GWR experts out there please?

I have a treasured family photo showing my grandfather (a GWR driver) and his cousin (fireman) standing with their dock shunter at Birkenhead. The loco is an Armstrong 0-6-0 saddle tank number 1979 of the 1901 class built in 1890-91. Above the warehouses in the background are the funnels of steamships and masts of sailing ships. My father thought it would be Vittoria dock. The dock opened in 1909 and I guess the photo dates from around that time.

The sepia print is becoming faded so I am having it digitally restored and ‘colourised’ by a professional. My questions concern the colour of the loco. Would a dock shunter of that era been painted in GWR green? Was there only one shade of green prior to nationalisation? Any help or pointers will be much appreciated.

I have various items of memorabilia including a letter signed by CB Collet thanking my grandfather for his services when he retired in 1927. It's touching that the Chief Engineer should write to a driver.

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This might help, gives RGB values here

Hi Andrew

Have a look at the Phoenix Precision paints range, these are accurate colours formulated by the companies creator Bob Shepperd for which in most cases, he used original paint samples to mix the colours. For GWR their colour changed in 1928, so I guess it depends on which one suits best. From what you have said, perhaps pre 1928 (1906-1928) is the colour for you? I'm afraid I don't know which colours the shunters were back then.

Regards

Pete

In trying to colourise a photo that pre-dates 1927 several factors need to be borne in mind.

In that era colours where invariably mixed by "eye" from pigments of far inferior purity than available today leading to subtle variations even when brand new.
With dirt and atmospheric pollution the original colour often rapidly darkened resulting in a locomotive that had been in service two or three years being a very different colour to one that was ex-works.
One has only to look at engines on heritage railways to see the colour variation that occurs with time despite far more precise chromatography available to paint makers today.

In very simple terms "don't stress it".

Just to confuse issues further there are several shade of black.

Edited By Brian Oldford on 19/01/2021 17:00:40

Thanks, all, for your advice. I'll go for green. Taking on board Brian's points, I'll make it a darkened and rather grubby version of GWR green.

Andrew