First wasp stripes?

Question

When did wasp stripes first appear on British shunters?

When I was a very small kid in the late 1950's our street backed onto a railway embankment. Every so often a gang of us would see how far up the embankment we would dare climb. The passing engine drivers pretended they couldn't see us but I'm sure they could. Anyway, from the top of the embankment we could see right into the goods yard which was quite some distance away. I am certain one the shunters had wasp stripes as it stood out even from that distance. Most references give the date of application as "early 1960's". We moved to a different address in 1959 so there is no way I could have seen that shunter from that angle after that date. There is a picture by Michael Mensing of the station pilot D2910 shunting parcel vans in 1958 with no wasp stripes. That is not necessarily the shunter I saw in the goods yard besides which I don't suppose wasp stripes are as necessary in a station area as in a goods yard? TIA

(kim)

John Turner · Accepted Answer

"kim"  wrote a 350hp shunter carrying experimental warning stripes in 1959,but gives no indication of when this was applied.A quick look at "A Pictorial Record of the Diesel Shunter" by Colin Marden(OPC SBN 86093 108 0) provides further evidence of shunters carrying variousforms of horizontal striping in the 1950s as follows:-15002 at March on 8/4/59 and11709 at St. Rollox on 27/8/57whilst locos carrying something more akin to standard wasp striping isillustrated byD2600 at Selby on 10/8/60 andD2754 at St Margaret's MPD on 11/6/60.So assertion that wasp striping was applied from 1960 is supported by theseimages.John.

Rich Mackin · Answer

Small experimental wasp stripes were used, on the nose end at least, on Class 08s from 1958 (possibly earlier) from one photo I've seen. However, I've seen photos from the early 1960s showing a Class 06 with no wasp stripes.

John Turner · Answer

"Rich Mackin"  wroteThere are numerous photographs of diesel shunters in the mid-60s withoutwasp-striping; application was relatively slow and rather hit & miss.  Notall shunters got wasp striping, 06s for instance seem to have had horizontalstripes throughout their existance as this 1982 shot shows:-

kim · Answer

D2434 is pictured with diagonal stripes and late crest in Colin Marsden's "The Diesel Shunter".(kim)

John Turner · Answer

"kim"  wroteYup, just shows the inconsistency of the whole shooting match.John.

Bruce Fletcher · Answer

The Daily Telegraph has had an interesting series of letters and articles on "shooting wasps"

Mick Bryan · Answer

And for some reason, the wasp stripes on the cab of all 06 phots I've seenare at a much steeper angle than all the other shunters............Cheers,Mick

Uncle Wobbly · Answer

oh yeah! All the stripes I have seen always go horizontal when they turn the corner back along the body side, but these are horizontal all the way by the looks of the top and bottom black bits. Anyone got a bonnet-first piccy of an 06 without the sack?

kim · Answer

Colin Marsden's reference also contains pictures of 06's with all horizontal radiator stripes.(kim)

First wasp stripes?

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