"Blue & Yellow? or whatever came along" BW livery in perspective!

[Laurence Hogg]

So we can all remember that BW used "Blue & Yellow" as a livery. Despite a directive for the application of the livery being sent to all that mattered only a few followed the guidelines to the letter. Bulls Bridge certainly did (most of the time) but places like Bradley had a completely different interpretation.

Below is a "Red Bull" yard interpretation and probably the most diverse of all!

And Bradley stencil jobs!

 

This was a Bulls Bridge variant:

A Uxbridge version on a ex FMC motors:

Proper job here:

Simple job here:

Just how many can you find?

Edited June 30, 2017 by Laurence Hogg
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[alan_fincher]

The special exhibition livery apparently applied to "Sickle" in about 1957, and which she appears to have continued to carry as a maintenance boat for some years after that date.

Note also the small "funnel like" exhaust.

I'm tempted by this livery for a future repaint, but to get it right, really need a picture that shows it in more detail.

Edited June 30, 2017 by alan_fincher

[billh]

From the Gorton,  Manchester, Canal Depot  about 1950, philosophy :-" Ignore Headquarters instructions" :

It was and  is Blue & Yellow

 

[Laurence Hogg]

Here's at least four boats at Bulls Bridge in the approved scheme to the letter:

And a Josher using a near adaption:

A small Woolwich in the fancy version!

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2017 by Laurence Hogg
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[Laurence Hogg]

So why "Blue & Yellow"?

The answer lies at the end of the GUCCCo life, after the war there was apparently a change of livery to be undertook, this seems to involve the house colours of the successful Grand Union (Shipping) Ltd short sea carriage company which operated the "Regents Line" ships from Regents dock. Expansion here was taking place and the following extract implies it was on a good scale,

"I should like to make special mention of Grand Union (Shipping) Limited.  This important subsidiary, whose pathway was cleared by our 1943 Act, has an established position in the short-sea continental trades.  So that it may give in post-war years that service which its clients expect, orders have been placed for two new Diesel-engined ships, each 1,100 tons deadweight, to be built to the most modern specification.” (GUCCCo Chaiman)

In conversation had and in documents that were at Stoke Bruerne in the 1970's other details were given of changes, these included the new livery and its layout which were illustrated on large drawings. There was a proposal for fleet replacement with a boat type of similar dimensions to those in service, compartmented boats were suggested too and again drawings produced. However the coming of the British Transport commission messed this all up and all but Grand Union Shipping was Nationalised. GU Shipping was amalgamated with the GU Lido company at Ruislip and its vessels, MV "Marsworth", Knebworth" and "Blisworth" sold off to IIRC P&O.

So why Blue and Yellow?

Look at the house colours shown below and you see the two colours prominent, the future British Transport Waterways way line circle is present in the armorial device of GUCCCo the rest speaks for itself. The influence of the GUCCCo lived on for a few years in the guise of blue and yellow and one wonders what a pair would have looked like lettered in the GU guise and not BTC BW

The Shipping line poster and MV Marsworth:

The specification for painting long distance carrying boats as detailed by BTC BW:

 

[Paul H]

Some intersting pics including some I haven't seen before - thank you.  The paint spec is a useful guide but is not of course a contemporary document.  I would also say it includes a typo - the boat name and fleet number should be 4" high.

Paul

[archie57]

Deja vu - I think we talked about this document not so long ago.......

[Laurence Hogg]

1 hour ago, archie57 said:

Deja vu - I think we talked about this document not so long ago.......

This document was researched by John Edwards whilst at Bradley and is a copy of the original then held by BW. It came to light in the early 1990's.

Edited July 1, 2017 by Laurence Hogg

[Derek R.]

Despite the written spec for letter size on the cabin sides, I would agree with Paul H that four inches looks more correct for boat name and fleet number.

[archie57]

 Regarding Bulls Bridge fleet (yes I know there were variations elsewhere) yellow lines round the cabin 3 inches wide, the "Reg at" lettering had to be 2" tall (legal requirement I believe), shading to RHS - remember a lot of the "British Waterways" lettering done by transfer shaded RHS ( hence the odd-looking arc - as in the picture of the "Gorse") so the other bits had to match - not to say there wasn't LH shading when it was done by hand.

[mark99]

On 29th Sept 2017 Narrowboat Autumn mag will be carrying a piece called blue and yellow.

[Laurence Hogg]

On ‎03‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 20:15, mark99 said:

On 29th Sept 2017 Narrowboat Autumn mag will be carrying a piece called blue and yellow.

Here's more variations on the theme:

[Laurence Hogg]

From Northwich:

 

[Heartland]

It would be useful to list all the different BW/DIWE maintenance depots to make a comparison between colour schemes. It has been suggested that the origin of this livery was based on the Grand Union, but how far was it applied across the whole BW fleet, which included craft on the broad canal, narrow canals and river/ estuaries in England, Scotland and Wales. The hand over first to the DIWE spanned some 2 years as railway owned waterways were transferred across. The interesting recommendation for how boats should be painted is worded in a way that seems to be narrowboat specific. Were there any guide lines for BW/DIWE craft on other waterways, perhaps. 

[Laurence Hogg]

The original information and drawings came from BTC documents which resided (then 1972) at Stoke Bruerne. There were vast amounts of documents and there could well have neen info for wide craft. One of the L&L Shortboat drawings was found in this hoard.

[Heartland]

Any investigation into the variation of colour scheme has a factor where each individual maintenance depot had its own interpretation on the scheme and then there is the possibility of private boat builders also being employed. There is also the changes made by BW/DIWE to where craft were maintained. Mention has been made of Bradley Workshop on the BCN, but did Ocker Hill, the previous maintenance yard, adopt the same procedures?

[NB Esk]

Myinterpretation of this colour scheme, on my own amateur built boat, ESK.

 

 

[NB Esk]

Another pic of ESK at bridge 101 on the HNC in Stalybridge.  Photo above is lock 4e at Longroyd bridge, taken in 2017.

 

 

[Pluto]

There are very few colour photos of L&LC craft in BW carrying livery, but I do have this one, taken by John Gavan around 1970.

[Laurence Hogg]

Two pictures of Atherton at Wigan in a very austere plain blue:

Edited July 9, 2017 by Laurence Hogg

[Derek R.]

[Pluto]

7 hours ago, Laurence Hogg said:

Two pictures of Atherton at Wigan in a very austere plain blue:

These were when they were painted as part of the maintenance fleet, rather than as part of the carrying fleet. The former was a much simplified scheme, with a more 'modern' (ie less intense) blue. I have quite a few colour photos showing the maintenance colour scheme, it is the commercial period for which colour photos are scarce.

[Ray T]

There are also these from NarrowBoat Magazine and elsewhere.

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Ray T

[Laurence Hogg]

"Blue and Yellow" various liveries lying in Hawtrey's pit at Harefield (adjacent to and behind Harefield marina of today. All the boats shown are believed to be still in the same place albeit buried in some cases by a shallow covering. All were serviceable at the time and surplus to BW needs.

The boats shown include FMC MB Erica, Horse boats, Tring, Gladys, Yiewsley, Ida, Iver, Natal, Pretoria, Jersey and a Faulkners butty.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Laurence Hogg

[Ray T]