1970's motor-cars for goods yard staff.

[C126]

Please could someone advise me as to the suitability of various model motor-cars for my mid-1970's Southern Region goods yard.  Growing up in the 1970's, I recognise the Oxford Diecast models available, but not coming from a car-owning household do not know their class/income signification.  With room for four models, I picked the following staff: Coal merchant, aggregates merchant, Yard Foreman (is this the correct term for the boss of the Goods Yard?), and Shunter (on foot, not the loco driver).  Others can park theirs 'off layout', and my partner remarked not as many people owned motor-cars then, so I can pose a few bicycles for the digger drivers.

 

I have in mind the following, picked either on childhood 'appreciation' or reading Wikipedia:

 

Coal merchant: Austin Princess.

Aggregates merchant: Rover P6.

Yard Foreman: Citroen DS19 (is this too exotic?!).

Shunter: Ford Fiesta Mk. I?  Ford Escort Mk. II?

 

Is this credible?  If any car-drivers or sociologists can offer advice, I will be forever grateful.  Final purchases when the shops reopen depend on their stock, of course!  Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts.

[Barclay]

Don't forget cars of the 60's which were still common then. New cars were less common and more for the well off or those with company cars in the days before readily available credit. For instance your shunter might have a rusty Austin Cambridge rather than a newish but smaller car.

 

Just bought an Oxford Ford Capri Mk1 in blue mink with a black bonnet - absolute dead ringer for my Dad's first car, which he bought at around 6 years old in 1976.

[John Harris]

The DS19 was produced from 1955 till the mid 70s, so an older model would be reasonable, though it suggests the owner has a liking for innovation.

 

Either Ford would be okay, as would a Mk.I Escort.

 

jch

[Fat Controller]

The DS would be a bit too innovative for the average owner- the only owner I knew used to build harpsichords....

You'd most likely get early/ mid 1960s cars such as Morris 1000s, A40s, Cortinas, Vivas; the bigger Victors, Oxfords and Zodiacs might be found in factory car parks, as the owners would subsidise their fuel costs giving lifts to their colleagues. I recollect getting a lift on Sunday mornings with 8 or more in a Zodiac. Six on the bench seats, the rest in the foot-wells; we might even had one in the boot...

A source of second-hand vehicles was auctions of ex-MoD, Post Office and similar large fleets; this is where most Moggy 1000 vans and estates came from. 

[BernardTPM]

The Princess and the Mk.2 Escort both date from 1975 so would be very new (N or P reg) while the Fiesta is probably too modern, not on sale until 1978. For 1975 I would look to have a range of dates from 1960-75, with the majority of vehicles in the 1966-73 range. A few earlier ones if you have a lot of vehicles, but cars of that period used to rust badly so anything past 15 years old was the exception.

If sticking to 'Oxfords' the A60 Cambridge is a good choice (built 1961-69), any Mini, Austin 1275GT*, Morris Minor and Marina, Ford Anglia 105E or Mk.1 Escort, any Cortina up to Mk.3, Vauxhall Viva, the Rover P6 you mentioned (Oxford's is the 1970 facelifted model), Mk.2 Jaguar, Hillman Imp, VW Golf (new 1974). The DS would be an unusual choice, but not unknown and they were even built in the UK (in Slough) up to 1966.

Some people would have ridden to work on a bicycle or motorcycle, of course.

 

* a more ordinary ADO16 would be better, but that is all that Oxford offer.

 

For mid-'70s we could really do with a few more of the common imported cars like Renault 5, Fiat 124 ond 127, Datsun Sunny and Bluebird, Toyota Corolla, etc. Rootes/Chrysler UK is under represented too.

Edited February 5, 2021 by BernardTPM

[PenrithBeacon]

1 hour ago, C126 said:

Please could someone advise me as to the suitability of various model motor-cars for my mid-1970's Southern Region goods yard.  Growing up in the 1970's, I recognise the Oxford Diecast models available, but not coming from a car-owning household do not know their class/income signification.  With room for four models, I picked the following staff: Coal merchant, aggregates merchant, Yard Foreman (is this the correct term for the boss of the Goods Yard?), and Shunter (on foot, not the loco driver).  Others can park theirs 'off layout', and my partner remarked not as many people owned motor-cars then, so I can pose a few bicycles for the digger drivers.

 

I have in mind the following, picked either on childhood 'appreciation' or reading Wikipedia:

 

Coal merchant: Austin Princess.

Aggregates merchant: Rover P6.

Yard Foreman: Citroen DS19 (is this too exotic?!).

Shunter: Ford Fiesta Mk. I?  Ford Escort Mk. II?

 

Is this credible?  If any car-drivers or sociologists can offer advice, I will be forever grateful.  Final purchases when the shops reopen depend on their stock, of course!  Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts.

It's ever so easy to imprint the present on the past and to assume that the present is a good analogue of the 1970s.

I would say:

Coal merchant: Fiesta Mk1

Aggregates merchant: Austin 1000

Yard Foreman: Bicycle

Shunter: Bicycle or on foot.

[C126]

Thank you all so much for your replies, and so swiftly!  It had not occured to me the cars should be 'older': this would stretch the range available.  I will amend my list accordingly, and browse the Oxford catalogue again (e.g., the Austin Maxi).  I liked especially the harpsichord builder...  Many thanks again to you all.

[C126]

34 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

The Princess and the Mk.2 Escort both date from 1975 so would be very new (N or P reg) while the Fiesta is probably too modern, not on sale until 1978. For 1975 I would look to have a range of dates from 1960-75, with the majority of vehicles in the 1966-73 range. A few earlier ones if you have a lot of vehicles, but cars of that period used to rust badly so anything past 15 years old was the exception.

If sticking to 'Oxfords' the A60 Cambridge is a good choice (built 1961-69), any Mini, Austin 1275GT*, Morris Minor and Marina, Ford Anglia 105E or Mk.1 Escort, any Cortina up to Mk.3, Vauxhall Viva, the Rover P6 you mentioned (Oxford's is the 1970 facelifted model), Mk.2 Jaguar, Hillman Imp, VW Golf (new 1974). The DS would be an unusual choice, but not unknown and they were even built in the UK (in Slough) up to 1966.

Some people would have ridden to work on a bicycle or motorcycle, of course.

 

* a more ordinary ADO16 would be better, but that is all that Oxford offer.

 

For mid-'70s we could really do with a few more of the common imported cars like Renault 5, Fiat 124 ond 127, Datsun Sunny and Bluebird, Toyota Corolla, etc. Rootes/Chrysler UK is under represented too.

 

Thanks for this.  I had quite forgotten the 'Datsun' from my childhood, I see a now discontinued brand.  I used to get a lift in Winter to primary school in a grey, B-reg., Mk. I Cortina, so this will be a good excuse for a model.  I thought coal merchants had the reputation for being well off, so a Jag would be nice, but a bit too 'flash', I think.  Many thanks again.

[Rivercider]

I would also suggest that quite a few railwaymen would get to work by moped,

you quite often see one parked up next to a signal box.

 

My dad ran a Honda 50 for the latter part of the 1960s.

 

cheers 

[Fat Controller]

19 minutes ago, C126 said:

 

Thanks for this.  I had quite forgotten the 'Datsun' from my childhood, I see a now discontinued brand.  I used to get a lift in Winter to primary school in a grey, B-reg., Mk. I Cortina, so this will be a good excuse for a model.  I thought coal merchants had the reputation for being well off, so a Jag would be nice, but a bit too 'flash', I think.  Many thanks again.

Coal merchants may not have been short of a bob or two, but they didn't get like that by buying flashy motors...

[DCB]

You can date photos by the cars in them in many cases,   I worked in a British Leyland dealership in the 70s and we laughed at the new for 1980 Mini Metro having a six year anti perforation warranty on the body as the previous 1100/1300 models often needed new sills or subframe at  6 years old.  Customers would buy the same model every two years in those days to avoid the dreaded MOT.  Austin/Morris and Ford were market leaders as the 1970s started, the BMC 1100/1300, Morris Marina, Mini, Ford Cortina Mk2 and Escort Mk2 , and Capri Mk1 (Not the pre Mk1 beloved of Jasper Carrott)  Vauxhall (FC?) Victors Vivas, Hillman, Hunters  Avengers and Imps.   Late 60s there were Austin Cambridge and Morris Oxford cars, Mk1 Cortinas and Escorts, Timeless cars were the Morris Minor and Mini as they are sill around  today, while almost no 1950s cars remained in use.  Hatchbacks were an 80s thing really. Austin Maxis were weird, a 5 door 5 speed Hatchback, very odd,   Owners of Foreign car owners were treated with suspicion except VW Microbuses, everyone had them.  Many Models had a wide price range, Your ordinary workman, might buy a Marina 1300 2 door, (An evil, handling  awful load of crap) and the boss a 4 door Marina 1.8 TC (A nice car). But the key is date of introduction. You can have any vehicle produced before the date of your layout, but none produced after it

[PhilJ W]

Ford 100E, Hillman Imp and almost any British car from the 60's. Reliant Robins were commonplace but no models are available. 

[PenrithBeacon]

I once had an English teacher who was a member  of the minor aristocracy. His brother,  the heir, had gone to Australia and disappeared but he couldn't get him declared legally dead. This teacher, a bloke called Escourt, had the family coat of arms on a plaque attached to the front bumper of his Reliant.

Everybody thought it was hilarious,  and a can't imagine what the maths teacher an ex RAF Liberator pilot with a Riley thought of it!

Edited February 5, 2021 by PenrithBeacon

[steve1]

3 hours ago, Rivercider said:

I would also suggest that quite a few railwaymen would get to work by moped,

you quite often see one parked up next to a signal box.

 

My dad ran a Honda 50 for the latter part of the 1960s.

 

cheers 

 

Honda 50s wee everywhere then. It's a vehicle that is crying out to be available as RTR.

 

steve

[javlinfaw7]

One thing I remember from the mid 70's was late 1960's cars with mismatched panels being common  due to replacements from scrapped cars not being painted quickly.

 

[spamcan61]

10 minutes ago, javlinfaw7 said:

One thing I remember from the mid 70's was late 1960's cars with mismatched panels being common  due to replacements from scrapped cars not being painted quickly.

 

Was just thinking that; then there were the replacement glass fibre wings / other body panels.

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by spamcan61

[BernardTPM]

5 hours ago, C126 said:

 

Thanks for this.  I had quite forgotten the 'Datsun' from my childhood, I see a now discontinued brand.

Datsun are now Nissan. They changed the brand name (which was also used in the USA)  in the early 1980s.

[BernardTPM]

4 hours ago, DavidCBroad said:

You can date photos by the cars in them in many cases, 

 

But the key is date of introduction. You can have any vehicle produced before the date of your layout, but none produced after it.

That last part is the key (unless you drive it out of your Tardis).

[jonhall]

I would think doing a google search for 'best selling cars in britain 1970 (and then repeating with 1965) would be a fairly good place to start

 

https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/top-10s/top-10-selling-cars-of-the-1970s/

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/95144/best-selling-cars-1965

 

Jon

[BernardTPM]

Then 1975 is mid '70s.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/95146/best-selling-cars-1975

[DCB]

58 minutes ago, javlinfaw7 said:

One thing I remember from the mid 70's was late 1960's cars with mismatched panels being common  due to replacements from scrapped cars not being painted quickly.

 

Black sills, the bit below the doors, were common where people plastered black pitch or underseal on the new metal sills or  rusty sills with glass fibre mat  supported by newspaper trying to deceive the punter and MOT man.   Vinyl roofs were the bees knees and hid copious accident damage from roll overs.  Wings also tended to exhibit signs of bodgery some bolted on, most were welded and again bodgery was rife and as most colours of paint were available from Halfords people did rattle can resprays, not very well, and cars often ran with replacement wings etc in primer because the panel shop fitted panels and someone else did the spraying.  However this was usually six years or so from sold, I scrapped a 10 year old Metro as rotted out, a mate bought a six year old MOT failed rotted out BMC 1100 mid 70s

Currently I drive among other things, a 2001 Rover 25 which has so far never been welded, original engine gearbox, clutch probably, 150 000 miles.  Car wise it was a different world back then.

[Wheatley]

I was at junior school  from the mid 70s, the teachers cars were parked at one end of the playground and were, from memory, mostly Minis, Morris 1000s, Triumph Dolomites, Allegros etc. The floaty bohemian one had a VW Beetle which was about as exotic as they got. The headmaster had a Cortina Mk3 which was always immaculate. My dad was a headmaster, we ran Ford Escorts, always second hand, all through the 1970s. These were professionals on reasonable money and there was nothing flashy. 

 

Most railway staff (and artisans generally) would have had second hand cars if they had one at all, the size usually being dictated by the number of children required to be transported in them at weekends (no seatbelts, you can get 4 small ones abreast in the back of an Escort). Even then most would walk or go on the bus if it was convenient, especially during/after the oil crisis. Almost no-one had second cars, they were too expensive as occasional runabouts. The only railway staff I ever knew with with posh cars were relief signalmen, think second-hand Rover, Austin Cambridge etc. Parked next to the box so they could washing it while they were working your Sunday. 

[PhilJ W]

I mentioned Reliant Robins, the main reason for their popularity was they could be driven on a motorcycle licence. Many railwaymen had commuted by motorbike in their younger days but as they grew older wanted something more comfortable and Reliants provided the perfect answer. Oxford make the earlier Regal van and I think the equivalent saloon is in the pipeline. Oxford also make a few bubble cars which were still around into the 70's.

[Ramblin Rich]

I believe the Reliant Robin first appeared in 1973 so the earlier Regals would still be around. Being fibreglass, they also didn't rust 

[PhilJ W]

This might help.

https://www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/news/2018/june/22/street-scenes-the-1970s/

or this.

https://www.vintag.es/2015/01/28-color-photographs-of-street-scenes.html

or this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=pbeg0jD-PBk

and this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XqE9H8Waqg