The sets were delivered in lined green with speed whiskers. They had grey/silver roofs, with the cab dome painted white. In time yellow panels replaced the speed whiskers, and corporate rail blue with yellow ends appeared in the late '60s. In the early '80s dome power cars appeared with red buffer beams and white cab roofs, and some had the BR double arrow on the headcode box.

In 1983 51591 was repainted into lined green with full yellow ends, with whiskers edged in black, red buffer beams (back and front), cream white roof, and crests. It was fitted with a plaque which read "The first unit 1959-83 1,250,000 miles at St. Pancras - Bedford - St. Pancras".

It wasn't until the last few months of service that blue/grey appeared, and this was only on some trailers in anticipation of them being transferred to Tyseley. Eddie Knorn notes: "My notes of 127s record a formation seen in Feb 1983 as: - 51647 (Blue) - 59605 (Blue-Grey) - 59634 Blue-Grey - 51636 Blue. This pair of centre cars were both recorded as having a C3 overhaul at "3000" (ie Swindon) on 6-1-83. From memory, the first two centre cars at Cricklewood in Blue-Grey were 59609 and 59610 that both had a C3 overhaul at "5458" (ie Doncaster) during 10-82. There may have been a couple of 127 cars that predated this as (again from memory) 59595 and 59623 were Tyseley based by that time."