ALL 38s were delivered in works Grey, and after a period of running in were forwarded to Eveleigh Carriage Works for painting. The non-streamliners were either Green with a Black smokebox, or all Green. 3806 and 3819 are two which, according to photographic evidence, carried both schemes. It might also be worth noting that photographic evidence exists that shows each and every 38 in their original Green. 3808 and 3813 were the last two to receive Green repaints, 08 for Royal Train duties (see the Belbin Video ‘Days of Steam’) and 13 for the NSWGR Centenary celebrations.

As a matter of interest, 3807 was the first to be painted black, in 1954 for Pilot duties on the Royal Train. It was the only 38 to carry red and buff lining with the Black – this lining pattern was generally only used on the Green locomotives, as the Black locomotives were lined in Signal Red only. 3819 was the last to be painted Black, in 1957. 3804 is also noted as having been painted in Unlined Black for a short period. Interestingly, 3830 ran for a brief time in 1960 with only Red lining on the lower valance, and boiler bands.

To summarise, and to make it absolutely clear, ALL the 38s were Green, and for a period of about 5 years (1949, when 3830 was first painted, to 1954, when 3807 was painted black) ALL were GREEN at the same time.

Stuart I highly suggest purchasing the book ’38′, by John Thompson and published by Eveleigh Press, and ‘Flyer’, by the NSWRTM. Really the two biblical texts on the 38s.

Stuart

3801, 3803, 3805, 3807, 3813, 3819, 3827 and 3830 are all locomotives I have seen images of being painted green. The livery 3807 is painted in is based on multiple photographs of the locomotive painted in the green livery.