Fleet numbers on FMC cloths

[koukouvagia]

I'm in the process of repainting and generally sprucing up our butty. (Hampton, ex FMC).

 

I've been poring over the old photos and noticed a couple of oddities which perhaps someone will be able to elucidate.

 

We've got stenciled numbers on the cloths. However, I've been told that the fleet numbers were only put on motors' cloths. Is this correct? Or was it that the fleet numbers on butties' cloths appeared after re-registration of the company in 1921? Or was there no general custom?

 

Then there's the mysterious E number stenciled diagonally in the bottom corner of the cloth. You can see this number, E172, on the butty Stone. (p. 72 in Alan Faulkener's FMC book). Any idea what it is?

[RLWP]

Is it possible that the cloths have an individual serial number? Railway wagon ones did so they didn't go missing on other railways, or garden shed roofs

 

Richard

Edited July 22, 2011 by RLWP

[Laurence Hogg]

I have had a look through our numerous collection of FMC Horse boat / Butty boat pictures. The general concensus would appear the fleet number appears on the new livery boats, ie red, yellow, green. I cannot find another boat showing a letter, nothing in the FMC records relating to cloths links either, they simply mention "Gourock" and the colour green or natural.