GF Pullman roof colour anomaly

[Charlton Halt]

Afternoon all,

So I ordered a few GF Mk1 Pullman cars from the current range including some duplicates which I was planning to rename / renumber. All have arrived with grey roofs as expected except for one of a pair of second parlour cars which has a white roof.

The part number on the box is correct (374-212) as is the car number (352).

I believe there is an older version of the second parlour (347-210E) which has a white roof, but this is car 353. 

Has anyone else seen this? If it's not intentional then it's an unusual manufacturing error given that the roof is part of the same molding as the rest of the body. It's as if a painted 353 body has been detailed as a 352.

I'm tempted to keep it even if it is a fault since prototype rakes would have included pristine cars mixed with older ones with blackened roofs.

CH

[N_GaugeModeller]

IIRC the first batch had grey roofs and the current batch had white, or it might be the other way around, white is correct for new stock grey was what they became in use.

That's my understanding.

NGM

[carderrail]

Without checking I think all the Umber/Cream releases previous to 2019 had a white roof, the 2019 versions had a grey roof.

https://www.ngauge.org/bac_pass_mk1_pullmans.php this will show you what has been release - maybe I need to add the roof colour to the notes.

I have found photos of them in later years with a grey roof, I assume that like a lot of pullmans they carried a white roof at some point.

Regards
Tony

[Charlton Halt]

Thanks chaps. It sounds like it was just from an older manufacturing run. I'm happy to go with that and enjoy the realism  .

CH

[Steven B]

The first few batches were released with white roofs. The more recent releases have been with grey ones. Both are correct.

In the early 1960s most had a grey roof, although there were some with white. See the pictures towards the end of this page:
https://www.steve-banks.org/leeds-west-riding/314-yorkshire-pullman
The one at Hadley Wood South shows a single white roof coach amongst grey ones.

They were certainly grey when the coaches were repainted into reverse blue/grey and then later downgraded as standard blue/grey.

The Steam Locomotive Operators Association (SLOA) bought a number of them in 1981 and when they repainted them back to umber and cream most roofs went white.


Steven B.

[Manny]

I think yours may have originally been made for a Digital train set called Castle Pullman - Umber and Cream Pullman Coaches numbered 352 and having a white roof. I think the white roof would have been a restoration tribute.

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/35015/graham-farish-370-160-n-gauge-castle-pullman-digital-sound-train-set

[Charlton Halt]

I think yours may have originally been made for a Digital train set called Castle Pullman - Umber and Cream Pullman Coaches numbered 352 and having a white roof. I think the white roof would have been a restoration tribute.

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/35015/graham-farish-370-160-n-gauge-castle-pullman-digital-sound-train-set

Thanks, I hadn't spotted that. It would explain it nicely.

CH