Painting Spec for a 9K (C13) 1903

This may be of interest to some:-

Tank, cab, clothing and wheels to receive two coats lead colour filled up with white lead mixed with gold size, rubbed down, followed up with two other coats lead colour, sand-papered, after which two coats brunswick green in oil.

Outside frames, main frames above platform near smokebox, buffers, footstep plates, same as tank etc., except two coats crimson lake in oil instead of green

Outside frames, wheels, sandboxes, buffers, footstep plates, tank, cab, and clothing to receive one coat under varnish, picked out with black and lined with white (n.b. not vermillion!), afterwards to receive one more coat under varnish, and two coats best finishing body varnish. To be flatted down with pumice stone and horse hair between each coat.

Numbers, in gold leaf, to be placed on buffer beam and back of tank (sic. - presumably means bunker) after first coat of varnish.

A brass number plate to be fixed on either side of coal bunker, to be painted vermillion between the numbers. (n.b. my understanding is that this later changed to black.)

Inside of main frames, frame stay and sidebar bracket to have two coats lead colour, filled up with white lead mixed with gold size, rubbed down, one coat flesh colour, sand-papered, two coats vermillion, and three coats hard drying body varnish.

Outside of mainframes, frame stay, and slide bar bracket to receive two coats lead colour, filled up, rubbed down, one coat ivory black, and then one coat ivory black mixed with varnish and one coat hard-drying body varnish.

Inside tanks and coal space to have two coats red lead, finished with black.

Webs of crank axle and body of straight axles, one coat white lead and one coat varnish.

Ends of axles black, lined with white, and varnished.

Smoke box, bogie, back of firebox, platform and brake hangers, one coat black and one coat japan.

Chimney to have two coats lead colour, filled up with white lead, mixed with gold size, rubbed down, then one coat black and one japan.

Inside cab, one coat lead colour, filled up, rubbed down, sand-papered, two coats stone colour (to sample) one coat under varnish, and one coat finishing body varnish. To be lined as per sample panel. (Not available)

Two days to intervene between each of the last three coats of varnish.

Buffer beams same as inside frames with the addition of being lined to sample panel, and finished same as clothing.

Brake pipes to have two coats of approved rubber varnish.


The above should not not be taken as an absolute guide for all green GC engines. For example, Robinson tender engines plus the 9N class (A5) had vermillion lining on the crimson lake areas. In addition, the early GC green livery was based on the old MS&L livery and was very different, not least in the use of a much paler green as the main livery colour. Brunswick green was one of Mr Robinson's changes.