Dark 40b

[Idris]

I have recently found a very dark 40b (Nick Jones variation code 8). and, to me, this looks like more than a mere shade difference, the colour being a proper metallic blue rather than the standard silvery-grey blue. Making an allowance for shade differences between batches, I think it is a colour match for the 25b VW.

40b-1(s).jpg (20.33 KiB) Viewed 1050 times

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I would like to see it next to the dark 44a Silver Cloud which I do have, but I think my 40b(s) are light as per normal.

Ghosthunter.

[Idris]

I would like to see it next to the dark 44a Silver Cloud which I do have, but I think my 40b(s) are light as per normal.

Wouldn't the 44a be out of timeline since this is towards the end of 40b production?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

If we were expecting the colour to be the same shade of Blue used on both models at the same time...Yes, the 'Time-Lines' do not match. The darker Blue 44a is an earlier model, but with so few dark Blue examples around, it suggests the darker Blue was a temporary replacement. Is this what we are seeing again on this 40b and is it the same Blue pulled out of storage to complete a batch of coaches.

Ghosthunter.

[Idris]

If we were expecting the colour to be the same shade of Blue used on both models at the same time...Yes, the 'Time-Lines' do not match. The darker Blue 44a is an earlier model, but with so few dark Blue examples around, it suggests the darker Blue was a temporary replacement. Is this what we are seeing again on this 40b and is it the same Blue pulled out of storage to complete a batch of coaches.

I think you may have missed my edit to the first post: the colour appears to match that of the 25b VW.

[Idris]

A couple more photographs:

[nearlymint]

Great pictures Hugh, I will have to dig my ones out and check what I have. J

[kwakers]

We were able to find the models with 9X36 BPW without the base rivet with both red painted tailights, and also (the tail end of that base's production) without those red painted tailights. They were mainly all painted in the same old silver blue body colour which was usual on all the earliest codes.
Once the base casting was changed to include the front rivet which held it in place, the tailights were left unpainted on all the models we found of this style left in our U.S. Stores. However, with that last base with rivet, we were able to find three very distinct body colour shades in our stores right in their factory boxes. I believe the one you have shown here is in fact the darkest colour for comparison with the "Common" early light silvery blue coloured one. Thanks for pointing this one out Hugh with your nicely done pictures. (There is in fact a middle shade in between these two you have pictured here which we found mixed in with the last batch of these darker coloured models shipped out of the Lesney Factory. We called these three colour "SHADES" back then, but all three were quite distinctive right out of their factory boxes.)
Our dark coloured models would be Nick's code 9, not the code 8 without base rivet Hugh. If your facts are correct, you may have found one out of a batch of earlier body castings that were also painted in that last dark colour? That would be a new one never noted by us in our early catalog notes, and a very nice "Find" indeed.
I believe that Antonin has requested just today that Posts like this one with this added info on the 40B Bus be added to your recently completed "Missing" variations Hugh. His request makes perfect sense, since it keeps all updates to Nick's listings easily searchable under that particular model's Posts. Perhaps it will be easier to update all the RW models' details that way with little "Searching lost Posts" needed by us in the future? Kwakers

[Idris]

Dick, it would be interesting to know how your darkest shade 40b compares with a 25b VW.

[Diecast]

Dick, it would be interesting to know how your darkest shade 40b compares with a 25b VW.

Hugh. I have compared it and you can see, there are different metallic blue shades on 25b VW also. As Dick has mentioned there are three very distinct body colour shades on 40b.
Antonin