railfreight

Railfreight existed as a single unit from 1982 until 1987 as the rail freight division of British Rail. In 1987 BRs freight operations were further divided according to the type of train operated and material carried: the Trainload Freight division and its sub-sectors handled unit trains of coal, metal, aggregates, oil or petroleum, LPG, petro-chemicals, and construction materials; while Railfreight Distribution handled intermodal, non-unit train work and channel tunnel freight. Activities which were not assigned to one of the new Trainload Freight or Railfreight Distribution sub-sectors were then continued under the Railfreight General banner. Railfreight General was dissolved in 1989, its limited responsibilities being taken over by Railfreight Distribution.{{cite book |last1=Hendry |first1=Robert |title=British Railway Goods Wagons in Colour 1960 - 2003 |date=2003 |publisher=Midland Publishing |location=Hinckley England |isbn=1-85780-170-9 |page=95}}

Railfreight's image had lagged behind the image of the other areas of British Rail, and staff morale reflected this. As part of major restructuring as traffic moved away from wagonload and towards unit trains and containerization, British Rail commissioned a major redesign of the brand from locomotive down to depot entry sign.

Roundel Design Group took inspiration from aircraft squadron markings, distinct and visible from a distance, which would also look well even when soiled.{{cite web |last1=Job |first1=Nick |title=Basic Elements Introduction |url=http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/sheets/RF_Basic_Elements_Introduction_2.jpg |website=doublearrow.co.uk |publisher=British Rail |accessdate=12 January 2019 |language=English |date=November 1988}}

To improve staff morale, over £8 million were invested in depot facilities, giving them a bright and fresh appearance, improving crew spaces, and catching up on overdue maintenance.{{cite web |last1=Job |first1=Nick |title=Environment Introduction |url=http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/sheets/RF_Environment_Introduction_2.jpg |website=doublearrow.co.uk |publisher=British Rail |accessdate=12 January 2019 |date=November 1988}} Unique plaques that represented major depots were applied to locomotives and some rolling stock; with equipment easily identifiable as to its home depot, staff felt motivated to take more care in maintaining the locomotives assigned to them.{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Andy |title=Three Shades of Grey (Railfreight 1987 corporate identity, Roundel Design Group, UK) |url=https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/09/09/three-shades-of-grey-railfreight-1987-corporate-identity-roundel-design-group-uk/ |website=The Beauty of Transport |accessdate=12 January 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190112032953/https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/09/09/three-shades-of-grey-railfreight-1987-corporate-identity-roundel-design-group-uk/ |archivedate=12 January 2019 |language=English |date=9 September 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

The rebranding extended beyond just rolling stock and locomotives: signage, depots and vehicles also received the new paint schemes and logos to tie the sectors together. The use of Rail Alphabet, however, remained consistent with the rest of British Rail.

In 1987, British Rail unveiled a new brand and image for Railfreight, introducing six logos for the six new sectors that Railfreight was divided into: Railfreight{{efn|Later known as 'Railfreight General'.}}, Speedlink Distribution{{efn|Later known as 'Railfreight Distribution'}}, Railfreight Petroleum, Railfreight Coal, Railfreight Construction and Railfreight Metals.{{cite web |last1=Job |first1=Nick |title=Vertical Marker Stripes |url=http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/sheets/BR_0133.gif |website=doublearrow.co.uk |publisher=British Rail |accessdate=12 January 2019 |language=English |date=February 1988}}{{cite magazine |last=Sutton |first=Philip |date=2007 |title=Railfreight: The Making of a Design Classic |magazine=Rail Express |issue=137 |pages=20–27 |issn=1362-234X}}

One of the more subtle aspects was a 'vertical marker strip' used to tie publications, equipment and signage together, which duplicated the distinctive aspect of the main logo, such as 'triangles' for Speedlink Distribution and rectangles for General.{{cite web |last1=Job |first1=Nick |title=Vertical Marker Stripes |url=http://www.doublearrow.co.uk/sheets/BR_0134.gif |website=doublearrow.co.uk |publisher=British Rail |accessdate=12 January 2019 |language=English |date=February 1988}}

The Railfreight sector was immediately identifiable through the introduction of a new 'Railfreight Grey' livery, which was revealed in 1982 alongside one of the new Class 58 locomotives for which it was originally developed.[http://www.c58lg.co.uk/html/railfreight.html Railfreight] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915040413/http://www.c58lg.co.uk/html/railfreight.html |date=15 September 2010 }}, Class 58 locomotive group It was then soon applied to most of the locomotives and rolling stock assigned to the division. This new colour scheme was very distinctive on the British network, as it represented the first clear break from the universal application of variations of Rail Blue for 15 years.

The new livery was further distinguished, in locomotive classes where the bodywork was mounted on a solebar (such as the Class 58 and Class 20), by painting the solebar red to give a distinctive red stripe running the length of the lower bodyside. This variant was known as 'Railfreight Red Stripe'. Other classes of locomotives with an integrated monocoque construction (and thus no solebar), such as the Class 26, Class 31, Class 37, Class 47 and Class 56, also had red stripes applied to the lower body side.

Some of the monocoque locomotives briefly acquired a red stripe in 1987; however, following the creation of Trainload Freight and Railfreight Distribution in 1987, they were soon repainted in the new sub-sector two-tone grey livery with appropriate decals. Four remaining Railfreight locomotives and rolling stock, not assigned to the sub-sectors, were painted in two-tone grey livery with dedicated Railfreight General decals.

In 1992, Freight Connection 92 saw three Class 90s repainted into fictional interpretations of liveries from France, Germany and Belgium. Following the event, it was suggested by the personnel responsible for painting the locomotives that Railfreight Distribution adopt the French paint scheme. After some reworking, the design for the modified livery was finalised in March 1993; it revised the proportions of the grey sections and changed the roof colour slightly. Most noticeable was the inclusion of "Railfreight Distribution" on the sides, the only sector to have its sector name displayed on locomotives.{{cite web |last1=Wiggins |first1=James |title=Redefining a Modern Classic (Railfreight Distribution 1993 Visual Identity) |url=https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2018/12/12/redefining-a-modern-classic-railfreight-distribution-1993-visual-identity/ |website=The Beauty of Transport |accessdate=12 January 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190112034112/https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2018/12/12/redefining-a-modern-classic-railfreight-distribution-1993-visual-identity/ |archivedate=12 January 2019 |language=English |date=12 December 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

File:Class37railfreightgrey.JPG|Railfreight grey livery, shown on a Class 37 in September 1985.

File:19.08.84 Doncaster Works 58015 (6110207038).jpg|Railfreight Red Stripe livery, shown on a new Class 58 in August 1984.

File:Class 60 60081 'Bleaklow Hill' in Railfreight Metals livery & 87019 beyond left, Carlisle 18.9.1993 Scans883 (10657007293).jpg|Railfreight Two-tone grey livery, on a Class 60 in September 1993.

File:90021 at York.JPG|The modified Railfreight Two-tone grey livery used by Railfreight Distribution that appeared in the 1993, on 90021 at York on 3 June 2004.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{British Rail}}

{{British freight operators}}

Category:1982 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:British Rail freight services

Category:1987 disestablishments in the United Kingdom

Category:British Rail subsidiaries and divisions

{{UK-rail-transport-stub}}