District Line 'B' Stock Livery

[IanSpalding]

I need to paint some District Line 'B' Stock circa 1908.  The colour is variously described as:

•  crimson lake (deep scarlet) (The London Underground Surface Stock Planbook p31)
• bright red (London's District Line extract from The Times 30/3/1905 p104)
• bright scarlet (royal scarlet) (London's District Line p95)

Does anyone have further information on the livery?  Is there a suitable model paint equivalent e.g. from Precision Paints etc?

 

Regards,

 

Ian Spalding

[bécasse]

There is this 1:20 scale model in the London Transport Museum and I imagine that Stewart Hine put considerable research into getting the colour right (which could be described as fitting all three of the quotes you gave - and the Museum give a fourth!). Don't forget that in service the colour would quickly have become muted by brake-block dust.

Edited July 19, 2023 by bécasse

[Jeff Smith]

Red is a difficult colour as there are so many variations.  My experience is limited to acrylics but several paint companies have discontinued rail based ranges.  Nowadays I have to buy versions and then choose what think is best.  This chart might help.

 

Humbrol_-_Shade_Chart_28-11-22_Online_Version_Web (2).pdf

 

I have modelled Metropolitan/LT for many years and have used many different shades, sometimes just to differentiate different stock that I suspect were painted in different reds.

[SRman]

Lake was described as a very dark red/crimson going to almost black. Unfortunately, surviving paint samples varied due to various effects like weathering and oxidisation. The last time I read anything on this colour, no one was sure exactly what shade it should be. The bright reds are a little more certain.

[roythebus1]

Try posting this in the "London Undergrouns" section further down the "prototype" section and the District Dave website, there's sections on there for historic and modelling.