From introduction till repainting during the 1920s-   The sitting cars were most likely standard NSWR Purple Brown of the period, though John Beckhaus thinks they may have been a standard Pullman colour known as Victoria Maroon.  New information in Vol 2 of the Passenger car book now suggests that Purple Brown may have been replaced with Venetian Red in 1906.  As always with early period colour schemes the information available is vague at best.  The lining style used on the CBC and CFX cars is likewise  open to interpretation,  it may have been similar to the 1968 restoration scheme, or as they are now. 

This study of vestibuled VFX 1004 as delivered with Pullman style lining is from 
Pg 21 of David Burke's With Iron Rails (NSW University Press, 1988)

Some of the Sleeping cars may have been painted Purple Brown with full lining out.

1920s (1906?) to  late 1940s? (except Newcastle Express cars)-  Overall Venetian Red, fully lined

Pg 12 of the October 1999 issue of the NSWRTM Roundhouse featured Tony Maston's fine study of Lounge Car RS 24 at Coffs Harbour sometime between 1933 and WW2. 
As Mike McCormac has kindly pointed out to me, this ex AF Sleeper  is painted Fully lined Russet and Venetian Red with Russet letterboards (the panel above the windows).  The window frames were Venetian Red.  Photographic evidence indicates that the letterboards were painted Venetian Red after 1938, a style that carried through to the Post 1946 simple lined Tuscan and Russet.  This lining scheme, but in overall Venetian Red is the most likely scheme to have been carried by BAM 2 (HX 2) and the 3 CBCs and 3 CFX cars during the 1920s and 30s.

1934-1940? Newcastle Express cars (CBC 1089-1090 & CFX 1091 - 1093)- These four cars were repainted in Fully Lined red and Cream to match the converted Vestibuled cars (NCL sets) used on the Newcastle expresses.
 

This detail from the photo on P35 of  the 36 book  (John B Thompson, RTM, 1988) shows the lining style of the Red and Cream colour scheme.  This was fully lined, had red above the windows, and  red window frames.

This colour diagram shows the general arrangement of the pre-war Red and Cream scheme.

At least one CBC may have been Fully lined Russet and Venetian Red, as this photo from P50 of Len Clark's passenger car book, could indicate.  However a clearer copy of the same print on Pg 113 of Coaching  Stock of the NSWR looks more like overall Venetian Red, so the jury is still out on that one.

This photo which appears on P50 of Len Clark's Passenger Cars of the NSWR (Traction Publications, 1972, long out of print) is of CBC 1090,  with covered clerestories, and may be painted pre-war Russet and Venetian Red or Overall Fully Lined Venetian Red.  It is a good illustration of how difficult it is to interpret black & white photos of this period.  It was probably taken during, or just before the war.  This may have been its official portrait after being repainted from Red and Cream. 

Then as set out above in notes on individual codes.

CBC 1088, 1089 and 1090 - CFX 1091, 1092 and 1093

The three CBC cars were converted from 1st Class side corridor cars to Composite (1st/2nd) cars with open "tourist" style seating in 1937.  At the same time the clerestory windows were covered with sheets of timber (the raised vertical strips on the models are the cover strips between the sheets of panelling).  The 3 CFX cars were also converted in the same manner but retained their 2nd Class classification.  CBC 1089 - 1090 and CFX 1091 - 1093 retained the Red and Cream they received to match the NCL/ICE sets used on the Newcastle Expresses whereas CBC 1088 and CFX 1092 were either Fully Lined overall Venetian Red or Fully Lined pre-war Russet and Venetian Red.

A photograph of them at this stage is on P3 of the 36 class book (John B. Thompson, NSWRTM, 1988.

When they were next repainted sometime after 1939, they may have been repainted in pre-war Russet and Venetian Red with the elaborate lining out of the period.  This is a photo of a sample model I painted for Austrains in the fully lined pre-war livery which I now think should have red window frames.

The next repaint after 1946 was in the post-war simple lined Tuscan Red and Russet, see Ron Selems photo from the July 1991 NSWRTM Roundhouse reproduced below. 

Ron Selems' photo of 3401 at Port Kembla on an ARHS tour in 1957 clearly shows a CBC and a CFX in Post-war Tuscan & Russet.  This photo appeared on Pg 14 of the July 1991 NSWRTM Roundhouse.

A number of photos of this colour scheme appear in Steam in the Fifties (Ron Selems, NSWRTM, 1991), including another version of the photo of 3401 at Port Kembla, a shot of a train hauled by 3528 descending Cowan Bank and a photo of the Coota day Train at Yass with 3609 in charge.  CBC 1089 and 1090 lasted in this scheme till about 1961, while 1088 was probably scrapped still wearing this scheme.  It appears that the three CFX cars, 1091, 1092 & 1093 also carried this scheme until scrapping or conversion in the early 1960s

Between 1957 and 1961 the two remaining CBCs were repainted plain unlined Red, and were used on a number of tours in 1961 and 62, including the Dorrigo Tour and the Last Steam Train to Batlow, whilst wearing this scheme.

CBC in unlined Post 1954 Red.
Image from Dale Budd's photo on Pg 111 of Remember When II taken on 30th August 1964.

In late 1965 the two remaining CBCs and the HX were repainted in the Vintage Train scheme of Red and Cream, and carried this scheme until they were comprehensively restored in 1968.

The Vintage Train in Red & Cream.  Detail from Graham Cotterall's photo for February 1990 NSWRTM Calendar.

During 1968 the Vintage Train, as the three surviving cars were then known, were given a comprehensive restoration at Carriage Works, Eveleigh, when they had the masonite covers removed from the clerestories, exposing the original clerestory windows, close coupled and repainted in the Purple Brown with Pullman style lining in which the vestibuled cars were originally delivered. 

In 1995 HX 2, CBC 1089, CBC 1090 and ABX 1007 (ex AD Sleeping Car, the AG Medical Officers car) were restored again, this time carrying the homegrown version of Fully Lined Purple Brown.

CBC 1090 on the turntable at Thirlmere in 1995 after repainting in Purple Brown. 
From a photo by Jim Martin, Pg 33, October Issue, New South Wales Rail Transport Museum Roundhouse.

However, despite the effort expended on the restoration, David Cooke tells me that the livery currently carried by the Vintage Cars, while a good interpretation of Purple Brown, was never actually carried by the CBCs, though the HX, when it was still a Sleeping Car, would probably have carried this livery.
 

HX 2

HX 2 was converted from BAM 2 in 1943, when I assume that the clerestory windows were covered, and it may have been repainted  pre-war Russet and Venetian Red, fully lined, or it may have remained in the overall red, fully lined.

At its first repaint after 1946 it was repainted in the standard post war Tuscan and Russet, with simple lining. 

HX 2 in post-war Tuscan and Russet just prior to being repainted Overall Red.  Note the red window frames.  From a photo by Robert Merchant of 2705 hauling a tour train from Merrygoen to Dubbo, 11th March 1961.  July photo, 1983 NSWRTM Calendar.

Sometime after March 1961, when it was used on the ARHS Weekend in the West tour shown above, 
HX 2 was repainted all over red with a single cream line below the window.

1243 & 1210 haul HX 2 as part of the Vintage Train to Junee, leaving Harden in 1961.
Detail from Ron Selems' photo on Pg 18, Steam in the Sixties, NSWRTM 1994

HX 2 in Post 1954 Red, one buff line.
Image from Dale Budd's photo on Pg 111 of Remember When II taken on 30th August 1964.

In 1965 it was repainted along with the CBCs into the Red and Cream Vintage Train livery. 

In 1968, along with the two CBCs, HX 2 received the Pullman style Fully Lined Purple Brown scheme.

Likewise in 1995 it was repainted Local style Fully Lined Purple Brown along with the 2 CBCs and the ABX and returned to its original number, HX 1006.

This Bob Cooke photo of HX 1006 at Junee on 9th June 1996 originally appeared on 
Pg 25 of the December 1999 issue of Australian MODEL RAILWAY Magazine.

Livery notes from information supplied by John Beckhaus, David Cooke, Ian Dunn and various published and unpublished photos.
 
 

NOTES ON THE CLERESTORY WINDOWS

When the cars were altered to "Tourist" style accommodation in 1937 the clerestory windows were not removed, they were merely covered with sheets of timber.  The small vertical strips on the sides of the clerestories are the cover strips over the ends of the sheets.  Restoration of the windows on the Vintage Cars was achieved by removing the covering. 

To model the CBCs as compartment cars with clerestory windows would be a fairly simple matter.  Just strip off the paint, or get one of the unpainted ones, mask out the window areas with tape and then respray with body colour.   As the roof castings are transparent removal of the tape should result in windows restored! 

SUPERDETAILING
I had intended to fix up the ends of the end platforms, which have not been correctly modelled, add the appropriate u/f detail, new truss rods, and superdetail the rest of the model to my usual standards and add a basic interior.  I was not going to replace the end platform handrailing as I did with my AM conversion, as the Pullman Cars version is much finer and quite usable as it is with the outer handrail painted brass colour.  I had considered changing the bogies to the Eddie Garde etched brass items, but at about $50 a pair, I may not either!  As mentioned above, however, when slightly "titivated" they fit in quite nicely, so it may be some time before any further work occurs on them.

POTENTIAL CONVERSIONS FROM THE PULLMAN CARS

A combination of the u/f and bogies from the AM and a shortened and modified body and roof from the CBC would give a very nice result for both the AL Sleeping Car and the DCC Dental Clinic Cars.

Real masochists will undoubtedly convert them to represent the ICE/NCL sets, with a lot of cutting and shutting of the sides.  Eddie Garde's etched brass kits for the vestibule ends will be very useful on these cars.  An interesting variation would be to model them as they were post-war, riding on 2AN bogies.  The Powerline spares from the BS/FS would be useful here. 

All the others (CFX, and AF, VBC and VFX in pre NCL/ICE days) would also make interesting and challenging models.