I recently repainted the cab of my RM using a BS colour - BS381 412 - Metropolitan Brown. It was one of the colurs listed in a letter from Bob Bird of the LT museum and posted on this website.

I'm not sure whther this is the colur used for RM cabs - I thought the shade was a bit light.

There are also 2 PPG FLT colours that are listed. FLT 3444 - Dark Chocolare and FLT3688 - Brown 1946. I understand that both were used in RT's and RF's. But were any of these used on the RM?

If not, does anyone know the correct colour/code used for the RM cab?

My bus number (if any): RM1699 Eastbourne Regent V 69(KHC369)

Hi Steven

I`m quite sure that the RM cab brown paint is known as Dark Chocolate Brown. Somewhere I have that spec list too but just having the list of numbers and names doesn`t imply the correct paint for a particular bus or situation. I painted the interiors (and cabs) of many of the Reading Mainline RMs and got all the traditional LT paint made up in our local Partco store. All the Sung Yellow, Burgundy and Dark Chocolate Brown that they made up always looked exactly as it would have done from Aldenham. Several people got in touch with me or Reading Mainline on seeing the finished interiors to ask where the paint was coming from. Many appeared quite surprised at the answer and I think some Partco stores did quite well as a result. Do Partco stores still exist? I have a feeling they don`t.

Just had a further thought about the paint. I`m sure it was known as 1938 Dark Chocolate Brown. That wasn`t the part number, it was all part of the name.

Steve
To the best of my knowledge the RM cab brown is the same as on the RT cab and staircase etc (FLT 3688 Brown 1946), At Aldenham some paints were mixed, some were bought in, some parts were hot sprayed others hand painted, all making a difference to the finished colour. Any listing of LT colours with LT or Brisch part numbers is now of little use as are those for paints that can no longer be bought like some speedcoat for example. I know one RT cab that has been painted using a sample taken from another bus and that is a horribly light brown, the best thing to do is to see if you can find either the same paint shade that Neil mentions or take a sample from a place like a cab seat back (or are they black now?) and get it matched. I was lucky I found a tin of gloss in a DIY shop that exactly matched the RT cab door and drivers seat back, but its a French brand

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RML 2667, RM 1585, RMC 1458 and 15 RTs

Many thanks Neil and Brian for your advice.

I know of someone who has a tin of Brown 1946 who will be happy to provide a sample for matching. Hopefully this should provide me with a solution. It will of course mean that I'm going to have to repaint the cab again!

My bus number (if any): RM1699 Eastbourne Regent V 69