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7 hours ago, mc1989 said:

 

Thanks for the info Merfyn, looks like it might be a scratchbuild job, unless it is possible to modify and extend the Oxford Diecast mk2 Astra hatchback model. Do you know where the orange roofbars came from, as they weren't standard accessories on those vans, and I had noticed in your pictures the mk2 astravan has side vents in the van body. What were these for, as they were not standard on the vans? 

 

The roof bars were a B R design and bought in their thousands, fitted to all sorts of vans and always orange.  Many B R vans had the grilles added, weather they carried gas bottles (propane) or not. 

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On 23/04/2020 at 14:33, BernardTPM said:

I photographed one at (I think) Crewe Open day back in 1995 with Mainline markings.

 

MainlineAstravan.jpg.81e80dd1bdae22bd4cca45ec72e1ef0a.jpg

 

I remember Astras with those wheels. I think they may have been part of the police spec as the local cop shop had a load of Astra hatchbacks with wheels like that but I don't think I ever saw them on a private car.

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On the subject of Astra vans. I took apart an Oxford Astra 2 3 door hatch and a close look at the drawing provided by Bernard (thanks) I think it's a doable project. So far removed the rear behind the fuel filler and stripped the paint off.

Well now I'll have to carry on with it. 

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Sounds like a good project start Merfyn. I was planning on building a van extension onto the Oxford mk2 astra 3 door using plasticard, but I don't know if it would work with adding on the roof section to the roof on the existing mk2 astra hatchback model.

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On 26/04/2020 at 20:03, Merfyn Jones said:

 

The roof bars were a B R design and bought in their thousands, fitted to all sorts of vans and always orange.  Many B R vans had the grilles added, weather they carried gas bottles (propane) or not. 

 

Ref the roof bars, does anyone have any drawings or know who they were made by? Eventually I`ll need a set for my escort van, or even a good picture and I can make some! 

 

Cheers 

 

Andy

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  • 1 month later...

Just a quick mod. to the recent Oxford V W van.  Released in the Response Unit livery, I could find no photographs of one in this style.  However I did have some in the plain livery with gold stripe as both plain vans and crew vans, so a bit of work with T cut removed the battenburg stripes and some black paint created the side windows along with an offside door. The other thing to do is replace number plates with something the right size. My main criticism of Oxford is many number plates are too small

 

BJ64ZVW.JPG.6666598e1bb6c9390a636be79d540b79.JPGBJ64AXF.JPG.ff9a7f2df79f45118a14554c474909e9.JPG

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  • 2 months later...

Great work chaps,

I haven't been on this thread for a while.

A question for Merfyn, a chap on Facebook was asking about BR Road Vehicles and I immediately thought of you but I don't know if you're on Facebook.

He's got the Ian Allan book, I'm sure we all have, but wanted info on newer vehicles.

 

Steve

 

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5 hours ago, divibandit said:

Great work chaps,

I haven't been on this thread for a while.

A question for Merfyn, a chap on Facebook was asking about BR Road Vehicles and I immediately thought of you but I don't know if you're on Facebook.

He's got the Ian Allan book, I'm sure we all have, but wanted info on newer vehicles.

 

Steve

 

 

Yes I did see it thanks.  Have replied to him but not heard back yet.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 31/05/2020 at 14:11, Merfyn Jones said:

Just a quick mod. to the recent Oxford V W van.  Released in the Response Unit livery, I could find no photographs of one in this style.

 

 

I saw one in battenberg in Derby last year but didn't manage to take a photo.

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This has been for sale on and off for a while, its not moved for many years, the owner has lived in it for over twenty years. Nothing much original left, and like has been said, parts are hard to find now, and yes, they rust like hell. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Merfyn, wonder if you can help there is a photo on facebook of what appears to be an ex railway bus

the reg is JCH369K

The body appears to have been painted in Railway Technical Centre colours would you happen to know if was every connected with the RTC and painted accordingly?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/erfmania/48794371333/sizes/m/

 

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15 hours ago, LongRail said:

Merfyn, wonder if you can help there is a photo on facebook of what appears to be an ex railway bus

the reg is JCH369K

The body appears to have been painted in Railway Technical Centre colours would you happen to know if was every connected with the RTC and painted accordingly?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/erfmania/48794371333/sizes/m/

 

 

Yes it was new to the Derby RTC, but painted in the usual yellow livery. I have a couple of pictures of it in my collection, however they are not mine to share. I also have seen the picture of it after sale in the RTC livery.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 28/04/2020 at 18:34, quicksilvercoaches said:

 

I remember Astras with those wheels. I think they may have been part of the police spec as the local cop shop had a load of Astra hatchbacks with wheels like that but I don't think I ever saw them on a private car.

 

Now, I have a question please. Ref the Mk 3 astravan, as per the mainline one pictured earlier in the thread, does anyone know (Merfyn, Simon et all) if there were any that were yellow and carried NSE branding? I know that some carried BR branding, and also INTERCITY, and one of merfyns pics shows RR branding, but NSE anyone? Pictures of any Mk3 astras seem hard to find, so am hoping that someone may know!

 

I have a project in mind....

Edited by andye
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23 minutes ago, andye said:

 

Now, I have a question please. Ref the Mk 3 astravan, as per the mainline one pictured earlier in the thread, does anyone know (Merfyn, Simon et all) if there were any that were yellow and carried NSE branding? I know that some carried BR branding, and also INTERCITY, and one of merfyns pics shows RR branding, but NSE anyone? Pictures of any Mk3 astras seem hard to find, so am hoping that someone may know!

 

I have a project in mind....

 

 

There were some yellow ones some got painted in jarvis maroon.  We at thornaby had quite a few in unbranded white and i seem to remember all with K prefix and HYG letters. 

The yellow ones were mainly J prefix but not sure if they had Vauxhall star of David wheels

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3 hours ago, andye said:

 

Now, I have a question please. Ref the Mk 3 astravan, as per the mainline one pictured earlier in the thread, does anyone know (Merfyn, Simon et all) if there were any that were yellow and carried NSE branding? I know that some carried BR branding, and also INTERCITY, and one of merfyns pics shows RR branding, but NSE anyone? Pictures of any Mk3 astras seem hard to find, so am hoping that someone may know!

 

I have a project in mind....

 

Just found a picture of a white one in NSE livery, taken in Tonbridge West yard by one of our members, so not for me to put it on here.

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Thank you russ and Merfyn, so they are mostly J and K, which makes them the earlier mk 3. Some of Merfs pics from the flickr railway motors bible, show different hubcaps and roof rails etc, so probably a case is BR bought whatever was cheap and available, as long as they were yellow / white! Oh and merf, I sent you a Pm

Edited by andye
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  • 2 months later...

Not done much modelling recently. The last thing I bought from Frank at R T I before he passed away was at Warley show a couple of years ago.

It was intended to be rebuilt with a high roof as one of many that NCL had in the white / blue livery,  but before I got round to it I found a photo of this van, which may have been a test buy to compare with the Commer Walkthrus and is the  only one I have come across in the yellow livery and with standard roof.

 

 

390071843_SHU325G(4).JPG.b35ee87efde4c0bf26e8f75a8afcd974.JPG505609971_SHU325G(5).JPG.16977dc29396864a9609677117eb4578.JPG

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