THE LIVERY COMMITTEE

Limited Edition from original artwork by Peter Barnfield
 
 

W97 THE LIVERY COMMITTEE

When the Buntings & Quill Rly. and the Myrtle & Whiminster Extension Rly. merged to form the Portersfoote Bunting Lt. Rly. a subcommittee of the directors met to decide on the colour of locomotives and rolling stock. After much very heated debate the only fair solution seemed to be to mix all stocks of existing paint, add some pulverised vermilion to the resulting muddy brown to lighten it a little and apply it to just about everything that moved, or didn't move. This colour was officially known as Whimshire Improved Locomotive Green! Only the Sepia Foliate directors, who had not been invited to the meeting since they had no engines, carriages or paintable buildings, approved the new colour since it matched their sole motive power, a horse named Ned. In the picture B&Q and M&W engines stand by the old engine shed at Portersfoote Bunting. This later became the new workshops. The committee are L. to R. Prof. Isaac Plogg, Capt. Cornelius Freeboard, Solomon Granville Groats, Alaric Sackbutte-Ponder (chairman) and Algernon Diggory Tremowzell. Gen. Manager Ernest Ditherpool takes notes while Foreman Frederick Funnell applies the paint samples.