For those modellers of British Railways prototypes living overseas from the UK, the advent of restrictions on sending paints through the postal system has made obtaining correctly coloured paints for our models increasingly difficult.
This article presents a summary of research which we have undertaken across multiple sources to identify the British Standards colour codes applicable to the colours used by British Railways. Overseas modellers may provide these codes to local paint suppliers to mix up suitable paints, in our case, Bunnings in Australia.
This article will be updated and added to as we find more information. If anyone wishes to contribute to this list, please don't hesitate to use the Contact Us option at the bottom of this page.
| BS381C | BS281C Name |
BS2660 | BS2660 Name |
BS4800 | BS4800 Name |
BR Spec Item |
BR Catalogue |
Rail Name | Notes |
| 107 | Strong Blue | LNER Garter Blue | |||||||
| 108 | Aircraft blue | ||||||||
| 112 | Arctic Blue | 7-084 | Fiesta Blue | Ice Blue For insulated wagons | |||||
| 114 | Rail Blue | 81-207 | 28-5321 | ||||||
| 166 | French blue | ||||||||
| 216 | Eau de Nil | ||||||||
| 218 | Grass green | LNER Doncaster Loco Green | |||||||
| 221 | Brilliant green | ||||||||
| 224 | Deep Bronze Green | BR Loco Green, GWR post 1945 | |||||||
| 225 | Light Brunswick Green | M. U. Green / SR Malachite (pre-war) / LNER Apple Green | |||||||
| 227 | Deep Brunswick Green | SECR / Great Central Green | |||||||
| 298 | Olive Drab | SR Dark Olive | |||||||
| 309 | Canary Yellow | Lining Yellow | |||||||
| 353 | Cream | GWR Coach Cream / BR Cream | |||||||
| 355 | Lemon | Red Star Yellow | |||||||
| 356 | Golden Yellow | 0-003 | Golden Yellow | 08 E 51 | Golden Yellow | 81-202 | Warning panel/signal yellow | All front yellow panels including original HST front yellow | |
| 361 | Light Stone | Stone | Colour for Brakevan Interiors above 3' 6" | ||||||
| 366 | Light beige | ||||||||
| 388 | Beige | SR Freight Stone | |||||||
| 411 | Middle brown | ||||||||
| 412 | Dark Brown | Frame brown | |||||||
| 435 | Camouflage red | GWR Indian Red | |||||||
| 446 | Red Oxide | BR Freight bauxite | Freight stock Red for lower walls up to 3' 6" & external body on fitted & piped vehicles | ||||||
| 447 | Salmon pink | ||||||||
| 448 | Deep Indian Red | Maroon | |||||||
| 449 | Light Purple Brown | GWR Coach Brown / LNWR Chololate Lake | |||||||
| 451 | 3-039 | Chocolate | Dark Brown | ||||||
| 452 | Dark Crimson | LMS Crimson Lake | |||||||
| 499 | Service Brown | SR Freight Brown | |||||||
| 537 | Signal red | ||||||||
| 540 | Crimson | Crimson | BR Crimson/Cream coaches | ||||||
| 557 | Light orange | Lining Orange | |||||||
| 593 | Rail red / Azo orange | 81-204 | 28-5318 | Rail Red / BR Flame Red / Intercity Rail Red | |||||
| 627 | Light aircraft grey | 00 A 05 | Goose Grey / Sea Mist / Goose Wing | 81-206 | 28-5320 | Rail grey / Freight stock Grey | Unfitted vehicles (later lighter grey) | ||
| 633 | Dark Grey | 9-098 | Blue Grey | Roof grey (Vans and coaches) | |||||
| 637 | Medium Sea Grey | Roof grey (maroon coaches) | |||||||
| 638 | Dark Sea Grey | Coach roof grey | |||||||
| 640 | Extra Dark Sea Grey | GWR Freight grey / Freight Dark grey | |||||||
| 693 | Aircraft Grey | Freight stock Grey | Unfitted vehicles (earlier darker grey) |
Graham Plowman (23/08/2020, updated 8/09/2020 1:07:31 PM +10:00)