Q19 Stores Van

[M.I.B]

This seems to be one of a very small pool of long parcels vans which had a weekly route.

 

But what were they delivering on such a routine basis;  (taken with full credit to the Penrhos site):

 

Stores Van No.2 - West of England
1946/7 route - Monday: Swindon, Didcot, Reading, Slough, Paddington (Old Oak Common overnight).
Tuesday: Paddington, Plymouth, Penzance, Truro.
Wednesday: Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton.
Thursday: Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Yatton, Bristol, Westbury, Weymouth.
Friday: Weymouth, Westbury, Chippenham, Swindon.
Saturday: Loading at Swindon.

 

No doubt one did the Midlands and perhaps up to Chester and Liverpool, another doing Wales....?

 

Please can anyone add detail on routes and what they were delivering.  Was it Company goods - stationary, uniforms, new/repaired tarps from Wolverhampton, office furniture, Station Master's new chair, new clocks?????????

 

 

[martinT]

John Lewis has written 5 articles on Stores Services & Vans for the GWRJ. See:

https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/gwrji/index.php?o=&s=stores&t=All&x=28&y=13

 

HTH

Martin

[M.I.B]

Thank you - I may have to subscribe.

Edited June 16, 2021 by M.I.B
Poor typing

[kada33]

You may have a job doing that M.I.B as the magazine GWRJ is no longed published.

You will have to search the second hand market for issues 43,44,46,47 & 58.

Dave

[kada33]

GWRJ No.44 (Autumn 2002) Page 233-236 covers in depth the West of England Stores Van No.2 in service and on the last page there is a side ways on photo of No.2 at Taunton.

This is the first issue I would go for.

 

Dave

[M.I.B]

I have finally unpacked my books and immediatley found a few pages on Stroes vans and GWR Stores (Swindon) in "All In A Day's Work" by Tim Bryan.  There is a shot of a Toplight brake based stores van, so I am assuming that as well as bespoke vans, some were based on lightly adapted available stock.

 

That opens up the scope quite a bit.

[The Fatadder]

Funny you mention the Q19, its a coach I am rather interested in building myself having came across the photos on Penrhos' website while looking for details on the Q14 generator.   Interesting to see an ex Royal Train coach put to such use.

 

Shame it is longer than the Hornby clerestory, as that would have been a potential route (though rebuilding those sloped ends to the roof could be fun.  Having ran into the issue with roofs on my Dreadnaught build, not being able to use an off the shelf Comet / MJT roof will be a concern.  I think I am going to have to learn to form them from brass....  

 

I think I will dig out GWRJ 44 (I am pretty certain I have a copy) later today and have a better look at it...

[Coach bogie]

The ex Royal was available from Tony Hammond in the 1980's as part of a five coach Royal train. (still haven't finished mine). Luckily he sold the full brake etch as a separate for those wanting the linen van which is what is was used for. Hammond only etched one of the brakes. There are subtle differences between 1069/70, I cannot remember what they were apart from a window position

 

They do come up on eBay from time to time.

 

Mike Wiltshire