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Question about colors on European trains

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, March 13, 2021 1:29 AM

Simon,

Thank you for posting that fantastic information. I think that is exactly what was needed.

Yes

-Kevin

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Posted by snjroy on Sunday, March 7, 2021 11:28 AM

The colors will be difficult to find and you may have to speculate. You might also want to be more specific:  in Algeria, for example, there was a "state" railway, that was affiliated to the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée railway:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histoire_des_chemins_de_fer_alg%C3%A9riens

So, one can suspect that the equipment used was manufactured in France, with similar colors. Apparently, les Batignolles, a famous French railway company that also manufactured Batignolles locos, was also active in North Africa:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_de_construction_des_Batignolles

So, I don't think you can go wrong with a Jouef Batignolles loco, with French passenger cars behind it. 

 Simon

 EDIT:  Based on what I could see on Ebay, green would have been a popular color for Batignolles and passenger cars associated. 

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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, March 4, 2021 9:48 AM

Also, British Railways often painted passenger cars ("coaches" to them) different colors depending on class / purpose, so a 3rd class coach might be a different color from a 1st class coach.

Stix
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 12:13 PM

NorthBrit
Sarissa Precision.  An English Company.  I have never heard of them before, but then they do Wargaming.

Yes, all the best wargaming stuff is made in England. Essex, Games-Workshop, Peter Pig, and so on.

We are really enjoying the favorable exchange rate right now. It is like a country-wide 65% off sale!

-Kevin

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 10:07 AM

Sarissa Precision.  An English Company.  I have never heard of them before, but then they do Wargaming.

I cannot find any reference to the color of rolling stock in North Africa, but the locomotives look to be one color.  Other rolling stock is lighter in color.  Not much help I am afraid.

 

David

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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 10:05 AM

I can't see the pics (problem with this computer, not the post most likely) but I wanted to mention that in the 'between the wars' period much of Africa was still controlled by the European colonial powers, so I suspect the equipment, paint schemes, etc. would be based on which Europe country controlled that area. British colonial railways used UK equipment, German colonies used German equipment, etc.

Most of the western part of North Africa was controlled by France (Algeria, Mauritania) with a small part controlled by Spain (Morocco, Western Sahara), the eastern part (Egypt, Sudan) controlled by Britain, with a section between them controlled by Italy (Libya).

Stix
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 9:28 AM

NorthBrit
 Do you know how old the items are.  They look old. 

Found out a bit more. The models are current production. They are cast resin wargame pieces made by Sarissa Precision. They are 28mm scale, which is nominally 1/56.

This set is called the "European Locomotive Starter Set" in the catalogue.

Like I said, Thom just wants to be appropriate in the color choice. I know purple with neon green stripes is probably out.

Laugh

I would assume olive greens, tans, and reddish browns would be OK choices, but I would like to be sure.

This is their version of an "Old West" locomotive.

-Kevin

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 4:59 AM

Kevin.   Do you know how old the items are.  They look old.  Certainly older than Hornby Steampunk.

I have looked at old catalogs of model trains by Bassett Lowke, Bing and Georges Carette  without success.  Having said that, I only looked at a few items from the Companies.  The engine and carriage look (to me) of French or German origin.  The brake van (caboose)  and five plank wagon are  British in design.

With no actual couplings present I assume they are three link couplings without the links  which made me think of the three companies above.  (All three worked for each other most of the time they were in production.)

If (and a big if)  they are made by Bassett Lowke, Bing or Georges Carette  they could be valuable.  Then do not repaint them or whatever.

If they are 'ordinary items'  then a desert sand coloring would be needed.

Check beforehand though.

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 11:29 PM

MisterBeasley
European railroads are kind of country-specific, so anything about what countries he's modeling would help

I went back and read the orginal email he sent me. He is attempting to create a representation of a train in North Africa.

Lazers
The Loco looks like a Hornby 'Steam Punk', not specifically any prototype, so it could be any colour.

Good to know. I looked through the DJH locomotive catalogue and saw some 4-4-0 locomotives, but no match.

-Kevin

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Posted by Lazers on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 5:48 PM

Hi Kevin,

The Loco looks like a Hornby 'Steam Punk', not specifically any prototype, so it could be any colour. The 5-plank wagon is totaly non-descript and would be best left grey. The coach looks like a cross-between a LMS Brake-van with windows and a continental 4-wheel coach, so it could be brown or olive green. The Brake-van is a British Railways / London North Eastern 20Ton (i.e. a Caboose) so is circa 1950. The colour is correct, but the LNER ones were also light grey. Paul

"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".

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Posted by MajorThom4321 on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 5:09 PM

Hello everyone,

 

Kevin kindly asked the above question for me and then directed me to this forum.

 

I am using the above in a Pulp Gaming system. The train would be based in North Africa from the late 1920s to 1930s.

I had planned on just doing the engine black it was really a no brainer. But the flat cars, passenger cars and there undercarrages were where my questions are.

Semi historical colors and any suggestions in model paint to achieve.

 

Thank you everyone in advance.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 4:42 PM

First, I am of the Sargeant Schultz variety and I know nothing.  But, European railroads are kind of country-specific, so anything about what countries he's modeling would help more than a geographic region.  Also, the political landscape changed through the century as well, so a closer timeframe would also help.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Question about colors on European trains
Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 4:19 PM

Guys, I don't even know enough about this subject to ask the question very well.

I have an old and dear friend that lives up North (Tampa area) and is building an early 20th century European civilian train. I think he is going to use this as wargaming terrain, but I am not sure.

He wants to paint it in colors that would be appropriate, but not necessarily 100% specific to a prototype.

I am going to send him a link to this thread.

Below is a picture of the train for this topic. It looks good to me as pictured, but I honestly have no idea if it is anywhere near correct. Can anyone help?

Thanks.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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