Can anyone tell me for certain if the policy of Compangie Internatinale des Wagons-Lits, (CIWL) for all of its 4000+ continental coaches, was in fact to have ONLY the sleeping cars and service cars painted completely in the royal blue, that is so well known as the trademark for the Venice Simplon Orient Express? If I am reading Shirly Sherwood's book correctly, "Venice Simplon Orient Express", on page 63, during the period (which I am modeling) 1925 -1935: All public cars of the continental CIWL trains including, resturant, bar, and 2nd class coach cars were all cream colored from the waist up.
My problem is this: I want my ho scale model trains to exactly replicate the livery of the CIWL rolling stock circa 1930. However, every ho scale model kit I have for example Bachmann and Revell, paints the resturant car completely in royal blue (no cream color from the waist up). But if you run Microsoft Train Ssimulator, in their version for the 1929 Arlburg - Orient Express, the resturant car is white (cream?) from the waist up. Which agrees with Shirly Sherwood. So who is right? I am modeling the CIWL Blue Train, The Arlberg-Orient Express, and the continental blue rake,- Golden Arrow between Calais and Paris. Does anyone out there know how these public cars were actually painted in 1930?
My sincere thanks for any accurate replys.