Hi Stephen, I did say in my message that it's undercoat, yes. You are
quite right about it being paler when new - powder blue with ivory
window pans. It was a one-off colour scheme at Walsall. According to
Keith Bodley at The Black Country Museum, Ron Edgley Cox, Walsall's
individualistic general manager, got hold of a batch of paint cheap
and it was supposedly battleship grey. Not sure how accurate all that
is but 56 was certainly one on its own. The intention was that if its
layout was deemed a success, then it would form the prototype for a
new fleet of high-capacity trolleybuses at Walsall. The V6 Cummins
sat under the rear stairs and could easily be replaced with an
electric traction motor. The bus even had double-skin insulated
floors with all this in mind, as I understand. Of course, with the
coming of WMPTE in 1969, nothing came of the project and R. Edgley
resigned soon after.
Regards,
Tony.