Esso Tank wagons restorations..which logos to use?

[chertsey chopper]

I have a fleet of Esso Tankers made by Airfix in kit form dating from the early 1960's. Many of you will know them or have built your own and used the decals provided but when did Esso actually change from the Esso Oval logos in white only, always only on black Tankers? The decals you get with the kits have always been blue oval, white background and 'Esso' in red and I was wondering how far back they go?.

Next question is what period did Esso use White 14 ton Tanks in White with either'Esso' in big blue letters or red? Remember the cross-belted models? Then there's the silver models made by all the makers,,,what period were they?

 

If anyone could point me in the right direction with a difinitive piece of info that would be a big help!

 

Thanks...jules

[Fat Controller]

I have a fleet of Esso Tankers made by Airfix in kit form dating from the early 1960's. Many of you will know them or have built your own and used the decals provided but when did Esso actually change from the Esso Oval logos in white only, always only on black Tankers? The decals you get with the kits have always been blue oval, white background and 'Esso' in red and I was wondering how far back they go?.

Next question is what period did Esso use White 14 ton Tanks in White with either'Esso' in big blue letters or red? Remember the cross-belted models? Then there's the silver models made by all the makers,,,what period were they?

 

If anyone could point me in the right direction with a difinitive piece of info that would be a big help!

 

Thanks...jules

It would be worth you trying to get hold of a copy of Robert Tourett's book on Petroluem Tank Wagons, which has photos of the various liveries used by oil companies large and small from very early days.

Silver tanks for Class A products were painted light grey at the beginning of WW2 to render them less conspicuous to marauding aircraft- they and their successors remained in this scheme.

The white livery sounds as though it might have come from a model manufacturer's imagination- white tanks have always been the preserve of chemical and gas tankers, and the only white 'ESSO' wagons I can think of are the LPG tanks, such as those that ran from Fawley to Longport. I don't know of any such vehicles using the short-wheelbase chassis- there were some smaller wagons, owned by BR for propane traffic for Calor, but even these had 12' underframes. The tank barrels were very thick, and so a smaller tanker would hardly carry a worthwhile load.

[cctransuk]

I have a fleet of Esso Tankers made by Airfix in kit form dating from the early 1960's. Many of you will know them or have built your own and used the decals provided but when did Esso actually change from the Esso Oval logos in white only, always only on black Tankers? The decals you get with the kits have always been blue oval, white background and 'Esso' in red and I was wondering how far back they go?.

Next question is what period did Esso use White 14 ton Tanks in White with either'Esso' in big blue letters or red? Remember the cross-belted models? Then there's the silver models made by all the makers,,,what period were they?

 

If anyone could point me in the right direction with a difinitive piece of info that would be a big help!

 

Thanks...jules

 

Jules,

 

Silver / light grey tank with a red solebar = Class A highly inflamable liquids such as petrol.

 

Black tank and solebars = Class B heavy oils etc. which are not so prone to produce highly inflamable fumes.

 

The 35Tglw Class B tankers as modelled in the Airfix / Dapol kit are correctly provided with coloured ESSO logos; my transfer Sheet BL9 (see http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm ) covers these.

 

The longer-tanked Class A (silver tank / red solbars) version of the 35Tglw tankers can be adapted from the Airfix / Dapol kit; my Sheet BL8 is appropriate.

 

There was also a bitumen tank version which can again be converted from the kit; my Sheet BL10 applies.

 

Regent and Fina had versions of the Class B 35Tglw tanker; see my Sheets BL11 & BL12 respectively.

 

Finally, BR had some departmental creosote tankers based on the 35Tglw tanker; see my Sheet BL33.

 

Prior to the introduction of the 35Tglw Class B tanker, ESSO Class B tankers did indeed carry the ESSO logo in white - usually twice on each side.

 

I have a large range of tanker transfers which cover the main tanker operators throughout the BR steam / early diesel era; (and to some extent back into the pre-Nationalisation period).

 

I hope that this helps.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood,

Cambridge Custom Transfers.

[chertsey chopper]

Jules,

 

Silver / light grey tank with a red solebar = Class A highly inflamable liquids such as petrol.

 

Black tank and solebars = Class B heavy oils etc. which are not so prone to produce highly inflamable fumes.

 

The 35Tglw Class B tankers as modelled in the Airfix / Dapol kit are correctly provided with coloured ESSO logos; my transfer Sheet BL9 (see http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm ) covers these.

 

The longer-tanked Class A (silver tank / red solbars) version of the 35Tglw tankers can be adapted from the Airfix / Dapol kit; my Sheet BL8 is appropriate.

 

There was also a bitumen tank version which can again be converted from the kit; my Sheet BL10 applies.

 

Regent and Fina had versions of the Class B 35Tglw tanker; see my Sheets BL11 & BL12 respectively.

 

Finally, BR had some departmental creosote tankers based on the 35Tglw tanker; see my Sheet BL33.

 

Prior to the introduction of the 35Tglw Class B tanker, ESSO Class B tankers did indeed carry the ESSO logo in white - usually twice on each side.

 

I have a large range of tanker transfers which cover the main tanker operators throughout the BR steam / early diesel era; (and to some extent back into the pre-Nationalisation period).

 

I hope that this helps.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood,

Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Thanks be to John, I will be in touch...after I've worked out how many transfer sets I'm going to need as some of my wagons need starting again!...

 

jules

[Avonsidefan]

The Wikipedia entry for Esso is informative, as is the one for BP

The red white and blue colours reflect the US origins, and the blue oval, white centre and red type was adopted around 1940 and is still in use today. In the mid 1930s they seem to have experimented with a red oval, white centre and a blue cursive type with joined up letters

http://www.cartype.com/pics/1310/small/esso_sign.jpg  

[corneliuslundie]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned n"Oli on the rails" by by Alan Coppin (HMRS, 1999, still available). That has photos and drawings of the prototype 35 ton wagon modelled by Airfix with a brief history. As stated above there were class A and B versions and a single creosote tanker.All are covered in the book - as well as much more information which will probably answer most opf your other questions.

[steveb860]

Or even Oil on the Rails by the same author, although " Oli on the rails" sounds like it should be in the Thomas the tank engine series