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Bw Bradley Yard blue


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Hey again folks, 

 

I'm about to start working on the cabin on Yeo, I have a photo of her from the early 60s when pulled up at Sutton stop as a family boat after traffic ceased and in this colour shot she looks to be in the darker 'Bradley yard' blue. 

I've done some looking but can't seem to find a reference to the appropriate colour code for this darker blue so thought I'd pick your brains on the matter... 

 

Also if anyone has any insight into lettering heights etc I would be really grateful as I'm aware some yards had their own differing styles and on Yeo I'd like her to look as original as possible. 

 

Thanks.. 

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On 01/04/2019 at 15:27, sparrowcycles said:

Hey again folks, 

 

I'm about to start working on the cabin on Yeo, I have a photo of her from the early 60s when pulled up at Sutton stop as a family boat after traffic ceased and in this colour shot she looks to be in the darker 'Bradley yard' blue. 

I've done some looking but can't seem to find a reference to the appropriate colour code for this darker blue so thought I'd pick your brains on the matter... 

 

Also if anyone has any insight into lettering heights etc I would be really grateful as I'm aware some yards had their own differing styles and on Yeo I'd like her to look as original as possible. 

 

Thanks.. 

Woah, seems like I've hit a blank.. 

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6 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Can't help with the colour shades, sorry, but this is Scorpio from the CRT heritage fleet. Mr Moore of this parish may be able to help there.

Gives an idea of the lettering.

 

IMGP4035.JPG

I don't think you can reliably tell shades of colour from a photograph, least of all an old one reproduced by unknown means and how many times?

 

I happen to know that Scorpio is painted in Craftmaster azure blue and to the naked eye I would suggest looks a darker shade than in the photograph. It's certainly of a darker shade than Atlas. The finish will also depend upon what is underneath.

 

JP

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1 hour ago, Paul H said:

As previously discussed:

 

 

Thanks, I had searched for a good while to no avail, I guess having 'Bradley blue' in the search wasn't the best plan.. 

It seems that there is a panetone number to go with now! 

 

Many thanks, and I'm sorry to have duplicated a thread. 

 

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, sparrowcycles said:

Thanks, I had searched for a good while to no avail, I guess having 'Bradley blue' in the search wasn't the best plan.. 

It seems that there is a panetone number to go with now! 

 

Many thanks, and I'm sorry to have duplicated a thread. 

 

paneton-pan-dulce-260nw-1174149274.jpg

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1 hour ago, bigray said:

If you are having difficulty getting the right colour or paint then it might be worth speaking to Paintman https://paintman.co.uk/ he supplied the paint for the CCT boat Python and I know spent some time looking into various colours and shades.

Thanks, if I can't find it I'll give him a shout.. 

 

1 hour ago, archie57 said:

Capitals  B and W  6inch :  ritish and aterways 5 inch: Motorboats names 4 inch. All shaded  light green and black to RHS.  ( As transfers when applied)

That's much appreciated, thanks! 

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Is Yeo known to have been painted at Bradley then? It seems an unlikely place without knowing the back story?

22 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I happen to know that Scorpio is painted in Craftmaster azure blue and to the naked eye I would suggest looks a darker shade than in the photograph. It's certainly of a darker shade than Atlas.

Strange how we perceive these things.  I would call Scorpio a lighter colour than shown in that Yeo picture, but I agree that colours from pictures like that are highly unreliable.

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19 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Is Yeo known to have been painted at Bradley then? It seems an unlikely place without knowing the back story?

Strange how we perceive these things.  I would call Scorpio a lighter colour than shown in that Yeo picture, but I agree that colours from pictures like that are highly unreliable.

It's also strange how the brain "reads" things that weren't said because it thinks it knows what's coming. I never mentioned YEO.

 

JP

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I always find this preoccupation with 'exact'  colours strange. When looking at how to paint L&LC craft Kennet, I could not find two schemes the same, and talking to Sam Yates, who did the painting at Whitebirk boatyard, he assured me that the colours were knocked up each day, so that there were always variations in the colours used, though they were similar. We are talking about a time when skilled painters would mix their own paints, so there would always be variations in tone. Pantone colours are useful a as a guide, but will never be truly 'correct'. It does give people a good opportunity to complain though!

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Well said, Mike. I find the agonising over precise paint shades puzzling too, I’m convinced that a particular yard would have either used what was to hand or mixed/ used something appropriate. I doubt that the Bradley yard would have had their own particular shade of blue either. More important in trading days was that the boat was fit to earn its living carrying cargo. I’ve always subscribed to the “ If it looks right, it is right “ school of thought...I’ve always understood that the BW blue was azure, the yellow middle chrome. I’ve used the same yellow for the lettering, mixed the green by eye and black from the tin. I could be wrong.....

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Just now, dave moore said:

Well said, Mike. I find the agonising over precise paint shades puzzling too, I’m convinced that a particular yard would have either used what was to hand or mixed/ used something appropriate. I doubt that the Bradley yard would have had their own particular shade of blue either. More important in trading days was that the boat was fit to earn its living carrying cargo. I’ve always subscribed to the “ If it looks right, it is right “ school of thought...I’ve always understood that the BW blue was azure, the yellow middle chrome. I’ve used the same yellow for the lettering, mixed the green by eye and black from the tin. I could be wrong.....

I doubt that very much. :)

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3 hours ago, Pluto said:

I always find this preoccupation with 'exact'  colours strange. When looking at how to paint L&LC craft Kennet, I could not find two schemes the same, and talking to Sam Yates, who did the painting at Whitebirk boatyard, he assured me that the colours were knocked up each day, so that there were always variations in the colours used, though they were similar. We are talking about a time when skilled painters would mix their own paints, so there would always be variations in tone. Pantone colours are useful a as a guide, but will never be truly 'correct'. It does give people a good opportunity to complain though!

  and I dare say different paints would fade to different degrees.....

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3 hours ago, Pluto said:

I always find this preoccupation with 'exact'  colours strange. When looking at how to paint L&LC craft Kennet, I could not find two schemes the same, and talking to Sam Yates, who did the painting at Whitebirk boatyard, he assured me that the colours were knocked up each day, so that there were always variations in the colours used, though they were similar. We are talking about a time when skilled painters would mix their own paints, so there would always be variations in tone. Pantone colours are useful a as a guide, but will never be truly 'correct'. It does give people a good opportunity to complain though!

I agree really, it's nice to have a start point to look from though. I did a lot of searching  last night, comparing paints to the photo of Yeo that I have in colour and think I have found a good contender. 

It could well come out looking wrong but for me it is the colour feeling in that photo (regardless of light, processing or 1960s camera film) that I would like to be faithful to. 

 

 

 

 

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Looking at when YEO entered service as a butty with 'British Waterways' (late 1961 or early 1962) I think it unlikely that it would have been docked prior to disposal (last tender closing date I have is 06 November 1964). Therefore it stands to reason that YEO carried the standard blue and yellow livery of the South Eastern Division, and the slightly darker hue in your photograph is an image error and quite common in colour images of the period. To reproduce this tone would be to introduce a new livery, especially if your write British Waterways on the cabinside. but your boat so your choice :captain:

 

edit = Bradley did not really deal with carrying boats as they were a maintenance workshop, possibly with the exception of BANSTEAD and TOW during the later days of the cement contract between the Kayes Arm and Sampson Road, Birmingham. If I remember correctly Bradley workshop opened in the early 1960's, taking over from similar facilities at Ocker Hill.

Edited by pete harrison
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