Railfreight or Red Star?

[Ray Von]

Built a low relief depot some weeks ago, will be getting around to adding some signage tomorrow or the next day.

I have a rake of Railfreight grey / red liveried vans and was wondering if the Railfreight logo or the Red Star logo would be appropriate to have on the building (or both)?

The era is late seventies early eighties, so that may have an influence...

Cheers in advance.

[RichardT]

Red Star was the brand name for the very clever BR small parcels business which used marginal spare capacity in the guard’s vans of scheduled passenger trains for high-value/time sensitive packages.  (A service that only worked because we had a unified national rail system without 27 different companies trying to get their slice of profit from a single parcel’s journey!) The nature of the service meant that Red Star had offices at passenger stations but I don’t think they had freight depots - the whole point was that they used scheduled *passenger* trains.  More suitable for your model would be Rail Express Parcels (res) - or, indeed, Railfreight Speedlink (wagonload) - or a small Royal Mail dépôt like Low Fell or Doncaster?

[Roy Langridge]

Railfreight did exist as a brand until 1982, so maybe too late for your period. 
 

I would suggest that Speedlink is more what you may be looking for if you are looking at the late 70s.
 

Roy

[Ray Von]

32 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

Railfreight did exist as a brand until 1982, so maybe too late for your period. 
 

I would suggest that Speedlink is more what you may be looking for if you are looking at the late 70s.
 

Roy

Thanks, I had seen some Paul Bartlett images of Railfreight vans circa 1981, pushing my luck a bit I realise! 

[SM42]

Would National Carriers Ltd still be around then

I seem to recall the building off Glebe St in Stoke still had the sign in the late 80s. Whether it was still in use by N C L is another matter 

 

Andy

[Fat Controller]

15 hours ago, Ray Von said:

Thanks, I had seen some Paul Bartlett images of Railfreight vans circa 1981, pushing my luck a bit I realise! 

'Speedlink' was a sort-of-sub-brand of 'Railfreight'.

Some wagons (notably VGA) carried both 'Railfreight' and 'Speedlink' branding. (photo dated 14/07/1986) . Others did not even receive 'Railfreight' branding until 1982/3 (VEAs in red and grey), whilst red and grey liveried VAAs were carrying frehly painted 'Railfreight' markings in the early 1990s.

[Ray Von]

This does look brand spanking new!

[hmrspaul]

Ignoring the breach of copyright by an anonymous member, this is from July 1977 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brvda/e20d78b47 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brvda/e35608512

 

Paul

[doctor quinn]

One of the mail order companies had a rail served depot near Manchester (perhaps GUS which owned Kay’s and Grattan?) so would that suit? 
 

One point about the building itself, the doors are down to track/ ground level which implies the floor is as well, unloading vans would be difficult, needing a forklift or portable ramp in the warehouse. If you could raise the building on a platform height strip of brick plasticard or plain plasticard painted “concrete” it would look more likely. 

[Ray Von]

1 hour ago, doctor quinn said:

One point about the building itself, the doors are down to track/ ground level which implies the floor is as well, unloading vans would be difficult, needing a forklift or portable ramp in the warehouse. If you could raise the building on a platform height strip of brick plasticard or plain plasticard painted “concrete” it would look more likely. 

That's the plan, well spotted. 

[Roy Langridge]

16 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Ignoring the breach of copyright by an anonymous member, this is from July 1977 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brvda/e20d78b47 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brvda/e35608512

 

Paul

 

Hi Paul,

 

Sorry, I think that I have confused the issue. Although Railfreight was used as a term and appeared on some stock, it was not an actual business sector within BR until 1982 - I am unaware of it being used in marketing or on buildings / facilities before then.  Speedlink existed as a business from 1977 and Red Star from 1963.

 

"Railfreight" in the Red and Yellow as shown in the OP was created to promote the Railfreight brand and was launched on the  the first Class 58 which was unveiled on 9th December 1982. Therefore, for a layout set in the late 70s it would not be appropriate to have that logo shown on a building.

 

HTH

 

Roy

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

Railfreight Red existed before 1982 - I've seen images on Woodhead with 76s and Railfreight liveried wagons - closed in July 81.

 

As an example, from 1980: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brspa/h3DEF194A#h3def194a

 

Also Railfreight was on the sides of VAA and other wagons from 1969.

 

 

[Roy Langridge]

1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

Railfreight Red existed before 1982 - I've seen images on Woodhead with 76s and Railfreight liveried wagons - closed in July 81.

 

As an example, from 1980: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brspa/h3DEF194A#h3def194a

 

Also Railfreight was on the sides of VAA and other wagons from 1969.

 

 

Yes, but it was not a separate business unit until 1982. As such it was not marketed as such and, as I said, I have never seen a building labelled as Railfreight in that pre-1982 period. 
 

Roy