National Carriers Livery and Signage

[cravensdmufan]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

 

Sorry for digging up an old thread , when was NCL formed? And am I right in thinking the depots were served by goods vehicles and 'parcels ' stock ie NPCCS ?

January 1969 I think Russ.  It was a company of The National Freight Corporation.

 

My uncle was transferred from BR Eastern Region to the new company but retained his travel facilities.

 

This article may help:

 

 http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/3rd-january-1969/26/national-freight-corporation

[The Stationmaster]

The Sundries Division of BR was transferred to NCL ownership in 1968 - I think towards the end of that year - and NCL was absorbed into the NFC in 1969.  However various parts of BR parcels activity were split back out of the Sundries Division at the time the rest went to NCL although all the parcels cartage fleet ownership was transferred beings subsequently hired from NCL for the remainder of BR's involvement in the C&D parcels business.  In some cases parcels traffic continued to be handled in NCL depots - again at cost to BR.   NCL also maintained on contract virtually the whole of BR's remaining road vehicle fleet and that continued for a good while after the split.

[cravensdmufan]

From memory of what my uncle told me, National Carriers was formed to take over railway "sundries" traffic which I assume were those bits and pieces covered by the "Common Carriers Obligation" - stuff that BR didn't really want anymore.

 

BR retained core freight;  I think parcels were also retained by BR but I can't be sure.  Perhaps others will have further information.

 

As an aside, my uncle (who is still with us and in his late 90s) told me that his BR career claim to fame was back in 1964.  It was he that phoned the fire brigade from his office in Bishopsgate Goods Depot.  He and his colleagues had to get out quick which was a bit inconvenient for them as they were playing cards at the time!

[cravensdmufan]

Stationmaster - we were responding at the same time!  You have provided useful clarification, thanks.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, cravensdmufan said:

Stationmaster - we were responding at the same time!  You have provided useful clarification, thanks.

Incidentally one other, minor, point.  The 1962 Transport Act specifically excluded the railway from any requirement to act as a Common Carrier (Section 43, Subsection 6 of that Act)

[Boris]

13 hours ago, russ p said:

Has anyone got any links to pictures of the rail vehicles in NCL depots 

Not links, but the book I linked above does.

 

I love this era, goes really well with the Green/Blue transition.

[russ p]

2 hours ago, Boris said:

Not links, but the book I linked above does.

 

I love this era, goes really well with the Green/Blue transition.

Cheers Boris,  ordered it 

[SED Freightman]

10 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

However various parts of BR parcels activity were split back out of the Sundries Division at the time the rest went to NCL although all the parcels cartage fleet ownership was transferred beings subsequently hired from NCL for the remainder of BR's involvement in the C&D parcels business.  In some cases parcels traffic continued to be handled in NCL depots - again at cost to BR.   NCL also maintained on contract virtually the whole of BR's remaining road vehicle fleet and that continued for a good while after the split.

The requirement for the C&D parcels business to hire all its vehicles (and their drivers ?) from NCL certainly affected the quality of service provided at larger parcels depots such as Bricklayers Arms - no prizes for guessing who went short of delivery vans if NCL had a maintenance backlog.  The requirement to use NCL did not appear to extend to Full Load Depots, at least on the South Eastern Division, as deliveries were undertaken by Dartford Wharfage at Plumstead Freight Depot and Wallis Haulage at Rochester Freight Depot, although there was some NCL activity at the latter.

[hmrspaul]

This photo shows an earlyish use of NCL https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/road/e3eba94e4

 

Worth resurrecting as we have never managed to confirm what this trailer did. Not for livestock I think we agree, perhaps as a mobile exhibition trailer?  Merv also pointed out many years ago the grey tractor is interesting as it the internal user livery for BR road vehicles!

 

Paul

[Merfyn Jones]

Still never found out, or found another like it.