When did wasp stripes first appear on British shunters?

When I was a very small kid in the late 1950's our street backed onto a
railway embankment. Every so often a gang of us would see how far up the
embankment we would dare climb. The passing engine drivers pretended they
couldn't see us but I'm sure they could. Anyway, from the top of the
embankment we could see right into the goods yard which was quite some
distance away. I am certain one the shunters had wasp stripes as it stood
out even from that distance. Most references give the date of application as
"early 1960's". We moved to a different address in 1959 so there is no way I
could have seen that shunter from that angle after that date. There is a
picture by Michael Mensing of the station pilot D2910 shunting parcel vans
in 1958 with no wasp stripes. That is not necessarily the shunter I saw in
the goods yard besides which I don't suppose wasp stripes are as necessary
in a station area as in a goods yard? TIA

(kim)

"kim" wrote

> When did wasp stripes first appear on British shunters?

http://www.53a-pix.co.uk/picture/D3070-BH-1959.jpg

illustrates a 350hp shunter carrying experimental warning stripes in 1959,
but gives no indication of when this was applied.

A quick look at "A Pictorial Record of the Diesel Shunter" by Colin Marden
(OPC SBN 86093 108 0) provides further evidence of shunters carrying various
forms of horizontal striping in the 1950s as follows:-

15002 at March on 8/4/59 and
11709 at St. Rollox on 27/8/57

whilst locos carrying something more akin to standard wasp striping is
illustrated by

D2600 at Selby on 10/8/60 and
D2754 at St Margaret's MPD on 11/6/60.

So assertion that wasp striping was applied from 1960 is supported by these
images.

John.

"kim" <ntscuser> wrote in message
news:92u1
> When did wasp stripes first appear on British shunters?
>
> When I was a very small kid in the late 1950's our street backed onto a
> railway embankment. Every so often a gang of us would see how far up the
> embankment we would dare climb. The passing engine drivers pretended they
> couldn't see us but I'm sure they could. Anyway, from the top of the
> embankment we could see right into the goods yard which was quite some
> distance away. I am certain one the shunters had wasp stripes as it stood
> out even from that distance. Most references give the date of application
> as "early 1960's". We moved to a different address in 1959 so there is no
> way I could have seen that shunter from that angle after that date. There
> is a picture by Michael Mensing of the station pilot D2910 shunting parcel
> vans in 1958 with no wasp stripes. That is not necessarily the shunter I
> saw in the goods yard besides which I don't suppose wasp stripes are as
> necessary in a station area as in a goods yard? TIA

Small experimental wasp stripes were used, on the nose end at least, on
Class 08s from 1958 (possibly earlier) from one photo I've seen. However,
I've seen photos from the early 1960s showing a Class 06 with no wasp
stripes.

"Rich Mackin" wrote

> I've seen photos from the early 1960s showing a Class 06 with no wasp
> stripes.

There are numerous photographs of diesel shunters in the mid-60s without
wasp-striping; application was relatively slow and rather hit & miss. Not
all shunters got wasp striping, 06s for instance seem to have had horizontal
stripes throughout their existance as this 1982 shot shows:-

http://www.53a-pix.co.uk/picture/06005b-DE-140482.jpg

John.

"John Turner" <nospam> wrote in message
news:o611
>
> "Rich Mackin" wrote
>
>> I've seen photos from the early 1960s showing a Class 06 with no wasp
>> stripes.
>
> There are numerous photographs of diesel shunters in the mid-60s without
> wasp-striping; application was relatively slow and rather hit & miss. Not
> all shunters got wasp striping, 06s for instance seem to have had
> horizontal
> stripes throughout their existance as this 1982 shot shows:-
>
> [..]

D2434 is pictured with diagonal stripes and late crest in Colin Marsden's
"The Diesel Shunter".

(kim)

"kim" wrote

> D2434 is pictured with diagonal stripes and late crest in Colin Marsden's
> "The Diesel Shunter".

Yup, just shows the inconsistency of the whole shooting match.

John.

John Turner wrote:
> "kim" wrote
>>>D2434 is pictured with diagonal stripes and late crest in Colin Marsden's
>>"The Diesel Shunter".
>> Yup, just shows the inconsistency of the whole shooting match.


The Daily Telegraph has had an interesting series of letters and
articles on "shooting wasps"

"John Turner" <nospam> wrote in message
news:o611
>
> "Rich Mackin" wrote
>
> > I've seen photos from the early 1960s showing a Class 06 with no wasp
> > stripes.
>
> There are numerous photographs of diesel shunters in the mid-60s without
> wasp-striping; application was relatively slow and rather hit & miss. Not
> all shunters got wasp striping, 06s for instance seem to have had
horizontal
> stripes throughout their existance as this 1982 shot shows:-
>
> [..]
>
> John.
>
And for some reason, the wasp stripes on the cab of all 06 phots I've seen
are at a much steeper angle than all the other shunters............

Cheers,
Mick

>
> There are numerous photographs of diesel shunters in the mid-60s without
> wasp-striping; application was relatively slow and rather hit & miss. Not
> all shunters got wasp striping, 06s for instance seem to have had
horizontal
> stripes throughout their existance as this 1982 shot shows:-
>
> [..]
>
> John.
>


oh yeah! All the stripes I have seen always go horizontal when they turn
the corner back along the body side, but these are horizontal all the way by
the looks of the top and bottom black bits. Anyone got a bonnet-first piccy
of an 06 without the sack?

"Uncle Wobbly" <unclewobbly> wrote in message
news:efd9
>
> horizontal
>> oh yeah! All the stripes I have seen always go horizontal when they turn
> the corner back along the body side, but these are horizontal all the way
> by
> the looks of the top and bottom black bits. Anyone got a bonnet-first
> piccy
> of an 06 without the sack?

Colin Marsden's reference also contains pictures of 06's with all horizontal
radiator stripes.

(kim)