In response to correspondence about why certain items of rolling stock are produced in certain colours the editor of Model Rail Express magazine offered up the following thought:-
QUOTE While I know Dick intends his comments to be light hearted, his questioning why anybody would buy the BR SR green RFO stirs up a hobbyhorse of mine. What is correct railway practice to a railway enthusiast is a foreign language to the vast majority of the population and that includes many (indeed most) people who buy model railway equipment. As a boy, my passenger trains had to have all the coaches in the same colour and each had a brake end and a restaurant car as well as 'ordinary' coaches. With that I was happy because my knowledge of railway practice was very limited (and still is). I believe that the major of model railway purchasers are ignorant of real railway practice and will buy anything if they like it - and why not? 'Ignorance is bliss' and they may well get greater pleasure from their hobby than an enthusiast who is always worrying about authenticity. I rest my case - Ed.
Do some of us worry too much and do those who are not bothered enjoy greater pleasure from the hobby?
I enjoy putting together wagons of the same colour even though they may never have operated together. It just looks nice and tidy. A few Saxa Salt vans and Fyffes Banana vans and private owner wagons all yellow looks pretty good. Same with coaches. If they are all green I am happy and that would include any baggage vans. There may even be collectors who collect rolling stock of the same colour and thats all they operate.
A blue loco should have blue coaches or rolling stock and a green loco similar. It looks right even if it is not right. Its easier to achieve this with BR diesels than anything else and the 1960's and 1970's is a good period for the colour co-ordinated modeller.
Each to their own and may all be classified as model railway hobbyists.
Are there any here who dare admit to similar practices?
Happy modelling
Gary
QUOTE While I know Dick intends his comments to be light hearted, his questioning why anybody would buy the BR SR green RFO stirs up a hobbyhorse of mine. What is correct railway practice to a railway enthusiast is a foreign language to the vast majority of the population and that includes many (indeed most) people who buy model railway equipment. As a boy, my passenger trains had to have all the coaches in the same colour and each had a brake end and a restaurant car as well as 'ordinary' coaches. With that I was happy because my knowledge of railway practice was very limited (and still is). I believe that the major of model railway purchasers are ignorant of real railway practice and will buy anything if they like it - and why not? 'Ignorance is bliss' and they may well get greater pleasure from their hobby than an enthusiast who is always worrying about authenticity. I rest my case - Ed.
Do some of us worry too much and do those who are not bothered enjoy greater pleasure from the hobby?

I enjoy putting together wagons of the same colour even though they may never have operated together. It just looks nice and tidy. A few Saxa Salt vans and Fyffes Banana vans and private owner wagons all yellow looks pretty good. Same with coaches. If they are all green I am happy and that would include any baggage vans. There may even be collectors who collect rolling stock of the same colour and thats all they operate.
A blue loco should have blue coaches or rolling stock and a green loco similar. It looks right even if it is not right. Its easier to achieve this with BR diesels than anything else and the 1960's and 1970's is a good period for the colour co-ordinated modeller.
Each to their own and may all be classified as model railway hobbyists.
Are there any here who dare admit to similar practices?

Happy modelling
Gary