LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY
The LNER’S adoption of wartime austerity was probably the most noticeable: locomotives were repainted black and the initials LNER were cut back to just ‘NE’. Even the ‘A4s’ weren’t immune. Just weeks after VJ Day, the LNER painted ‘A4’ No. 4496 in Garter blue with stainless steel Gill Sans numbers and letters, as part of its transformation from Golden Shuttle to Dwight D. Eisenhower. This was followed by pioneer ‘L1’ No. 9000 which was painted green, but with the wartime ‘NE’ lettering. The LNER announced an ambitious plan to paint every locomotive in lined apple green with unshaded Gill Sans numbers and letters, except for the ‘A4s’ (and ‘W1’ 4‑6‑2‑2 No. 10000), which were to receive Garter blue with stainless steel numerals/letters. Thompson’s and successor Peppercorn’s new designs, including the ‘B1’ 4‑6‑0, ‘L1’ 2‑6‑4T and ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ 4‑6‑2s, appeared in the new scheme. However, its application to existing designs was a trifle haphazard. Some locomotives received Gill Sans lettering but remained black, while a good number were turned out in green but with pre-war shaded lettering. Whether this was due to well intentioned works staff with a ‘waste not want not’ mentality using existing transfers, or interference from someone higher up the ladder who wished to return to pre-war standards, remains a subject of conjecture… The LNER wanted to apply apple green to all locomotives other than the ‘A4s’. ‘J71’ No. 8286 has been freshly painted in this 1947 photograph taken at Darlington. C.C.B. HERBERT/COLOUR RAIL