mickoo
Western Thunderer
Brian,I think we might need to set up another thread if this continues - we're mighty close to hi-jacking this one.
However Mick, and I have absolutely no knowledge at first hand, nor any historic interest, so my comments are based only on what I see, and that is the roof of the 56 in a lighter grey than exhaust fumes and oil would be and also an amazingly well defined demarcation between the bodyside blue and the roof grey. The roof is also reflective over the cab suggesting that this has been cleaned to a gloss finish. In the same series of photos I have some of a couple of Class 25s, also at the S & D 150 shindig. One of them certainly appears to have a blue roof with a very approximate and soft demarcation between the blue and exhaust/dirt and I'd have thought this to be consistent with automatic cleaning. Also nearly all the locos and vehicles were specially "bulled up" for the occasion with cleaned roofs - in fact the loco with the dirty roof was the exception, and the other shows clear evidence of exhaust staining around certain roof apertures.
All in all I bow to your certain knowledge but wonder whether there might be exceptions. In the case of 56036 above the demarcation body to roof matches that on "my" 56.
Brian
The wash plants only do vertical sides, anything not in that plane does not get washed, the brushes have a certain length so part of the cant rail will get washed but overall they will give a reasonably straight edge between washed and dirty. Having said all that I do dimly recall seeing some wassh plants with roof brushes but cannot be certain.
FWIW the roof actually looks dirty blue to me on my monitor and my first reaction was, wheres the grey your on about LOL, the cab roof is gloss and is clearly blue (to me), the crown has a matt finish and is slightly dirtier. Check the APT behind it clearly has a dirty streak down the very top of the roof.
All in all it doesn't really matter LOL















