Ferry vans at Reading 1990 help

[mabel]

Found on a YouTube video, a train of cartics and 10 ferry vans heading through Reading station in September 1990. Can anyone tell me what the traffic is and are these vans the same as Hornby VIX van?

pictures are ‘borrowed’ stills from the video. 

Train appears at around 6 mins 20. 

 

[Fat Controller]

They're not the same as the Hornby VIX, but to a similar design. Some are owned by Italian State Railways (The 'metallic' ventilator covers are a give-away) Others are less obvious. The traffic isn't immediately obvious; it could be tinplate from S Wales or bagged china clay from Cornwall, or simply empty wagons. It was always a problem finding back-loads for ferry vans.

The VIXs had come off revenue-earning service by the mid-80s, most ending their days as barrier wagons or departmental stock.

[jonhall]

The BR VIX was in effect a 'UIC ORE Type 3' van, of which the French/Belgian/Italian/Swedish (and no doubt others) had an equivalent build - not to the same design, but the same basic wheelbase/length/floor area etc, so it might be possible to bash the Hornby VIX into something passable.

 

Jon 

[mabel]

Many thanks for the informative replies chaps 

Tony

[The Pilotman]

In 1990 (when this video was filmed) there was a 6V16 0748 Dover to Morris Cowley train which passed through Reading around lunchtime. As the train in the video is on the down relief line and the clock on the platform shows 13:xx I am pretty sure that’s what this train is. The consist varied considerably but cartics and ferrywagons of various types were common (I saw it once with just a single bogie ferrywagon). I don’t know what (if anything) would be in the vans as the train called in at Didcot Yard and they could have been detached there. If not, car parts for Cowley perhaps?

Edited November 7, 2019 by Western Aviator

[Simon Lee]

At that time we had flows of car windscreens and wine from Italy for Cowley FD via the Train Ferry. 

Would imagine that is one or the other or both flows.

 

As mentioned above the VIX vans were out of service internationally by the mid 80s, their last work was Groupage from Stratford LIFT to Basle. 

[Fat Controller]

11 hours ago, jonhall said:

The BR VIX was in effect a 'UIC ORE Type 3' van, of which the French/Belgian/Italian/Swedish (and no doubt others) had an equivalent build - not to the same design, but the same basic wheelbase/length/floor area etc, so it might be possible to bash the Hornby VIX into something passable.

 

Jon 

Having done the Italian ones (ply and planked) and the SNCF type, I'd say scratchbuilding is easier and quicker than a conversion..

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Simon Lee said:

At that time we had flows of car windscreens and wine from Italy for Cowley FD via the Train Ferry. 

Would imagine that is one or the other or both flows.

 

As mentioned above the VIX vans were out of service internationally by the mid 80s, their last work was Groupage from Stratford LIFT to Basle. 

I'd forgotten the terminal at Cowley; there was one at Milton, Didcot, as well (though I've only once seen anything in it.)

[Simon Lee]

57 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I'd forgotten the terminal at Cowley; there was one at Milton, Didcot, as well (though I've only once seen anything in it.)

 

Milton had a flow of chalk powder up to the mid 80s this was in 4 wheel French "Nords" as they were known. There was similar traffic to Crewe Gresty Lane (IIRC) end user was Croxton and Garry. 

Seem to remember an occasional flow of wine to Milton as well and they tried white goods as well once, but it seemed the terminal was destined to be totally under used, at least from a Continental traffic point of view.

[Fat Controller]

12 minutes ago, Simon Lee said:

 

Milton had a flow of chalk powder up to the mid 80s this was in 4 wheel French "Nords" as they were known. There was similar traffic to Crewe Gresty Lane (IIRC) end user was Croxton and Garry. 

Seem to remember an occasional flow of wine to Milton as well and they tried white goods as well once, but it seemed the terminal was destined to be totally under used, at least from a Continental traffic point of view.

I think Longport used to handle that chalk powder, the customer being Whitfield Minerals; Whitfield's warehouse and offices were at Foxfield Colliery. I spent a winter handballing sacks out railway wagons on to pallets; we regarded the stuff from France as being easy, as the sacks were only 50 kg. The bogie ferryvans with gypsum from Germany loaded 66t in 60 kg sacks.

[Davexoc]

According to Wagonload - Paul Shannon, 1990/1 there was imported paper going into Cowley off the train ferry.

[mabel]

Once again, many thanks chaps. As always, a mine of information! 

Tony