British Railways crew vehicles

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

What vehicles were used by British Railways for maintenance crews in the mid 50s? I believe that BR initially used a certain amount of exWD vehicles such as the Bedford OY for transporting tools and materials for Permanent Way crews but images are few and far between.

 

 

Thank you and Stay Safe

 

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by Guest

[fodenway]

B R bought a number of secondhand buses from various undertakings at the time, presumably for staff transport. I'm sure that Merfyn Jones could give a definitive answer to your question.

[Merfyn Jones]

3 hours ago, fodenway said:

B R bought a number of secondhand buses from various undertakings at the time, presumably for staff transport. I'm sure that Merfyn Jones could give a definitive answer to your question.

 

Yes Kevin, I can.  Firstly if we are in the 1950s then P Way gangs had their own maintenance areas which were fairly small. My dad was in charge of a gang of about 6 who looked after a length of 4 track main line plus a goods yard and station area. The length was less than a mile. Most staff were local and there was no transport. In fact very few staff could even drive back then and transport to work was by bike or foot.

Relaying jobs and other renewals used rail transport for all materials.

The Bedford above was probably a goods department vehicle and not ex military as B R and it's predecessors bought very few second hand vehicles. It should have twin back wheels, and the headlight masking removed by 1948.

The use of the second hand buses came about in the very late 50s and early 60s to move big gangs of relaying men around the renewal sites and were based at the big engineers depots.

[Arun Sharma]

London Transport breakdown crews used crewcab Mk2 Ford Thames Traders with either a box body or a half length canvas tilt. Some of the latter might also have had a CALM-type crane attached.

Similarly LT also used workshop/crewcab bodies on Leyland PD3A bus chassis. I imagine that BR would have had similar crewcab vehicles.

An example of the Mk2 TT is shown here - but in 7mm. Wheels/chassis etc., designed but not yet printed.

 

 

[divibandit]

Hi Arun,

I took these at Rudgewick Steam and Country Fair a few years ago.

 

Steve

[Merfyn Jones]

On 20/06/2020 at 17:30, Arun Sharma said:

London Transport breakdown crews used crewcab Mk2 Ford Thames Traders with either a box body or a half length canvas tilt. Some of the latter might also have had a CALM-type crane attached.

Similarly LT also used workshop/crewcab bodies on Leyland PD3A bus chassis. I imagine that BR would have had similar crewcab vehicles.

An example of the Mk2 TT is shown here - but in 7mm. Wheels/chassis etc., designed but not yet printed.

 

 

 

BR never had anything like that. The few that they had were mainly coach built bodies on standard  chassis cabs. The bodies were part seating and part tools. Divided by a bulkhead.  This style of crew cab would have been insufficient for B R staff numbers.

[Arun Sharma]

3 hours ago, divibandit said:

Hi Arun,

I took these at Rudgewick Steam and Country Fair a few years ago.

 

Steve

This is one of two survivors of this type. The other (1283F) was last seen residing at the Canvey Island Bus Museum some years ago. This one pictured has lost its original LT registration of 580 EYU.

[Arun Sharma]

The 7mm kit is now finished and I've just got the instructions to finish off. Since there is a separate detailed chassis on this kit, a 3 or 5 plank dropside body is also likely in the future.

 

 

[Ken.W]

On 01/06/2020 at 22:09, Merfyn Jones said:

 

 In fact very few staff could even drive back then and transport to work was by bike or foot.

Relaying jobs and other renewals used rail transport for all materials.

 

The use of the second hand buses came about in the very late 50s and early 60s to move big gangs of relaying men around the renewal sites and were based at the big engineers depots.

 

I believe that up to around this period, withdrawn passenger stock (in engineer's black) were used in p.way trains to transport staff to relaying sites.