Bedford CF

[russell price]

Is anyone aware of any 1:76 scale models of Bedford CFL or CFS vans? 
Another omission is the Big Freight Rover 300/400 vans. 
Any suggestions as to sourcing the above would be good.

[BernardTPM]

I'm slowly* building one for myself at the moment.

 

* very slowly

Edited August 8, 2021 by BernardTPM

[ianmacc]

The only CF I know of is the Wiking 1/87 model. Very old and dated from when it was new ((Called the Bedford Blitz) but a well executed model. 
 

Okay for the rear of the layout.

[BernardTPM]

Going up in size Dinky did one too, around 0 scale. Didn't quite capture the look though, in my opinion.

Edited August 8, 2021 by BernardTPM

[ianmacc]

31 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

Going up in size Dinky did one too, around 0 scale. Didn't quite capture the look though, in my opinion.

Good call. 
 

I was more of the approach that the Wiking one may be useable in some way for his needs.

[37114]

5 hours ago, russell price said:

Is anyone aware of any 1:76 scale models of Bedford CFL or CFS vans? 
Another omission is the Big Freight Rover 300/400 vans. 
Any suggestions as to sourcing the above would be good.

I think there is someone on here making resin Freight Rover minibuses which could be converted? Worth a search on the forum.

[russell price]

Thank you for the Wiking suggestion, that may be a good lead to follow, as well as railways I’ve modelled all of our families coaches etc and need to do a few minibuses now. I’ve seen the Bus bodied examples and are following that up. If he can do me some spare bonnets I might see what I can do with some styrene sheet to build the standard minibus! 

[russell price]

Follow up , 3 Wiking Bedford Blitz are on their way from Germany via a well known online auction site!! 
thanks

Russell

[hmrspaul]

On 08/08/2021 at 14:22, BernardTPM said:

Going up in size Dinky did one too, around 0 scale. Didn't quite capture the look though, in my opinion.

Bernard - I owned a long wheelbase CF motorcaravan. You are correct, that looks very little like a CF! Awful. The Viking in contrast looks like a bit of paint would make it look like a reasonable resemblance of a CF. 

 

Paul

[hmrspaul]

17 hours ago, russell price said:

Thank you for the Wiking suggestion, that may be a good lead to follow, as well as railways I’ve modelled all of our families coaches etc and need to do a few minibuses now. I’ve seen the Bus bodied examples and are following that up. If he can do me some spare bonnets I might see what I can do with some styrene sheet to build the standard minibus! 

It looks to me that the Viking is a representation of the standard CF. I suspect a minibus, like the motorcaravan and Workobus were on a longer chassis. This gave greater internal useable space compared to the Ford Transit of the same era. 

 

Paul 

[BernardTPM]

There's a massive selection of UK brochures for Bedford CFs here. The van/minibus was available in two lengths/wheelbases and chassis cabs/cowls in three: 106", 126" and (later) 140".

 

Regarding the Wiking model, the van/minibus has a slightly more accurate front grille than the chassis cab pick-up version, the model coming out about a year later.

[russell price]

As it happens the ones I need are the 11 seaters which were converted from the standard short wheelbase van. I shall see when the Wiking arrive how they scale out compared to the John day transit. 

[hmrspaul]

2 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

There's a massive selection of UK brochures for Bedford CFs here. The van/minibus was available in two lengths/wheelbases and chassis cabs/cowls in three: 106", 126" and (later) 140".

 

Certainly extensive. Even has our Autosleeper - although their photographs have hideous patterned seating, ours were a very nice blue!

 

Paul

[ELTEL]

24 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Certainly extensive. Even has our Autosleeper - although their photographs have hideous patterned seating, ours were a very nice blue!

 

Paul

Another Autosleepers owner who is also a railway modeller.

[Johann Marsbar]

3 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

There's a massive selection of UK brochures for Bedford CFs here. The van/minibus was available in two lengths/wheelbases and chassis cabs/cowls in three: 106", 126" and (later) 140".

 

Regarding the Wiking model, the van/minibus has a slightly more accurate front grille than the chassis cab pick-up version, the model coming out about a year later.

 

Thanks for posting that link.  In the mid 1970'as my Father worked at the Vauxhall/Bedford main dealer around here and they started hiring out CF campers for people to use on their holidays, so in 1976 we hired something called a "Suntrekker" for a holiday in Scotland.  Nice to see that they feature amongst those brochures, as I distinctly remember the fact the camper body was demountable, so you could leave the body behind at the campsite and just use the CF chassis/cab to run around in for the day!   I think we only did that for one of the days though as it entailed a lot of messing about...

I'm sure there are some of those Bedford brochures here in a box in the loft!

[fodenway]

One of the magazine/partworks companies did an exquisite CF camper in 1/43 scale. There was also a Minivan-based conversion, a Bedford CA and two different Commer PB versions. They are very rare (in Britain at least) and expensive, and I don't remember the maker, although a friend has some (but not the CF) on his 'O' gauge layout. I will find out and post the makers name, unless someone beats me to it.

[hmrspaul]

3 hours ago, ELTEL said:

Another Autosleepers owner who is also a railway modeller.

Motorcaravans were an integral part of the way the Wagon Study Group was able to get all over the country and measure hundreds of wagons, as well as photographing more than a few.  - see the renewed topic about Model Railway Constructor. These were two of them, Roger Silsbury had a VW

 

 

Paul

[kernowtim]

Something like this?  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133803324208

Edited August 9, 2021 by kernowtim

[RANGERS]

IXO did a CF in 1:43 scale in panel van form and as a camper for Hatchette. They do appear on a certain auction site from time to time but the camper is usually the wrong side of £50, down to its popularity I guess. They are nice models though.

[ianmacc]

15 hours ago, russell price said:

As it happens the ones I need are the 11 seaters which were converted from the standard short wheelbase van. I shall see when the Wiking arrive how they scale out compared to the John day transit. 

Hi. It’ll scale out small next to any 1/76 van. 3.5mm to the foot rather than 4.0mm. 
 

Fine for a layout at the rear but won’t work side by side I’m afraid. 

[russell price]

That will be true, I’ve just bought some 1:76 Commer PB cast kits and compared to the Oxford Version they are huge. Both are supposed to be 1:76. Time to get the vernier out! 

[BernardTPM]

In van form the Commer was 14' long, on  7' 6" w.b. and 6' 3" wide, so 56mm, 30mm and 25mm respectively.

[russell price]

4 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

In van form the Commer was 14' long, on  7' 6" w.b. and 6' 3" wide, so 56mm, 30mm and 25mm respectively.

Thank you for that. I will have to measure up later

[RANGERS]

On 09/08/2021 at 21:53, hmrspaul said:

Motorcaravans were an integral part of the way the Wagon Study Group was able to get all over the country and measure hundreds of wagons, as well as photographing more than a few.  - see the renewed topic about Model Railway Constructor. These were two of them, Roger Silsbury had a VW

 

 

Paul

When Dave Larkin visited us a couple of times in the mid-80s, he arrived in an Fiat 850 van conversion

[doctor quinn]

The Wiking models come up rather nicely with a coat of paint, these being Danish, they’re Bedford CFs