Railway Motors

[quicksilvercoaches]

This may be of interest following the discussion of Astravans earlier this year. An ex Jarvis van owned by a local electrician as something to use for both work and shows and he's put a lot of work into it including a recent full respray in the original colour. There can't be many of these left now!

 

[stewartingram]

Lovely van, best I ever had at work. I'm solidly a BMC/Rover man at heart, but when we gained personal vehicles, I got a low mileage Astra petrol van (I hate diesels too!). I actually enjoyed driving it, it was like driving a car. I did a high mileage in it, I wasn't a boy racer but the old gal took a lot of punishment, including a lot of rough tracks to remote radio sites. Only fault I had was a thermostat failure, and it was regularly serviced by the local Vauxhall agent. When it was replaced, I got a new later variant, also petrol, (everyone else got the diesel variants after that!) which was just as reliable. However I preferred the first one slightly more.

[LongRail]

latest transit conversions

[Merfyn Jones]

Nice to see the finished jobs Gary. I recall taking the pictures for the high top P.way van over 30 years ago. Good to see you beat me to it with that one.  I did get the Tiny Transit van from China a few weeks back, so no excuse for not getting on with mine now.

[LongRail]

Merfyn, Tiny HK transits are nice models and have correct wheels just need to get them at the right price

 

 

[Vanfit]

Tondu in 1987

 

[Vanfit]

Diss June 1983, I think the shunting tractor would make a good model.

 

[Merfyn Jones]

11 hours ago, Vanfit said:

Diss June 1983, I think the shunting tractor would make a good model.

 

Oxford's Massey Ferguson will make a good basis.

[chrissixties]

Can anyone tell me when these particular Tasker trailers were introduced and whether they were ever used with yellow rail freight livery? The earliest images I have found are either white express parcels livery or yellow National couriers livery. Also, what vehicles pulled them in their earliest years? I have seen Ford D but what about Karrie Bantams or Bedford TKs? I would like to make an authentic model for around 1966/67.  Any answers would be much appreciated.

[PhilJ W]

That looks like the Scammell Mechanical Horse coupling which came into use and was standardised by the big four railway companies. They were used with the Scammell three wheel mechanical horses and when they were withdrawn continued in use right up until the early eighties. They were used with the types of vehicles you mentioned above way back into the 'blood & custard' era so the yellow livery would be appropriate. 

[chrissixties]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

That looks like the Scammell Mechanical Horse coupling which came into use and was standardised by the big four railway companies. They were used with the Scammell three wheel mechanical horses and when they were withdrawn continued in use right up until the early eighties. They were used with the types of vehicles you mentioned above way back into the 'blood & custard' era so the yellow livery would be appropriate. 

Thanks Phil, you are right about the coupling which had been used for years for other trailers but I believe this particular style  of trailer body with the side roller door and sloping sides was only introduced sometime in the mid to late sixties. It may we’ll have been designed specifically and exclusively for NCL initially but I am just guessing that one.

[Merfyn Jones]

5 hours ago, chrissixties said:

Thanks Phil, you are right about the coupling which had been used for years for other trailers but I believe this particular style  of trailer body with the side roller door and sloping sides was only introduced sometime in the mid to late sixties. It may we’ll have been designed specifically and exclusively for NCL initially but I am just guessing that one.

I'm sure you are right.  I have been through most of my photo collection this morning and find all the pictures of that type of trailer are with National Carriers, either in their own yellow livery or in the Rail Express Parcels contract livery of white and blue.

I guess they were built to replace the motley run down collection of B R trailers they inherited in 1968. The main difference to what went before was the upgrading from 3 to 5 tons with the double rear wheels and the side shutter doors.  I have a picture of one similar trailer with B R without the side doors and branded Railfreight, maybe a one off and towed by a Townsman.

The almost exclusive traction was the Ford D300 or D350 although I have one picture of a NCL livery Karrier Bantam with the 5ton trailer (so probably empty)

Nice kit, shame they are difficult to find now.  All the best with it.

 

I hope to be able to give some news shortly about the road vehicles of the railways.

[chrissixties]

6 minutes ago, Merfyn Jones said:

I'm sure you are right.  I have been through most of my photo collection this morning and find all the pictures of that type of trailer are with National Carriers, either in their own yellow livery or in the Rail Express Parcels contract livery of white and blue.

I guess they were built to replace the motley run down collection of B R trailers they inherited in 1968. The main difference to what went before was the upgrading from 3 to 5 tons with the double rear wheels and the side shutter doors.  I have a picture of one similar trailer with B R without the side doors and branded Railfreight, maybe a one off and towed by a Townsman.

The almost exclusive traction was the Ford D300 or D350 although I have one picture of a NCL livery Karrier Bantam with the 5ton trailer (so probably empty)

Nice kit, shame they are difficult to find now.  All the best with it.

 

I hope to be able to give some news shortly about the road vehicles of the railways.

Thanks Merfyn, that’s really helpful and thanks for taking the trouble to look through all your images too. Your model looks splendid BTW. The only other alternative livery image I found on the internet this morning was this one below. What would your best guess be for the earliest year the trailer would have had this rail freight livery? And what would your best guess explanation be for it’s existence?

[Mol_PMB]

There’s one of those in a field a few miles from my house:

[Merfyn Jones]

36 minutes ago, chrissixties said:

Thanks Merfyn, that’s really helpful and thanks for taking the trouble to look through all your images too. Your model looks splendid BTW. The only other alternative livery image I found on the internet this morning was this one below. What would your best guess be for the earliest year the trailer would have had this rail freight livery? And what would your best guess explanation be for it’s existence?

 

My guess is that this is a 8 or 10 ton van.  I too found that photo.  It is a lot bigger than the 5 ton van, and is obviously ex B R carrying the 1965 style livery. I would not be surprised if it was used as a prototype for the smaller version. This type of van mainly used by B R with their many Bedford TKAs.

[Merfyn Jones]

5 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

There’s one of those in a field a few miles from my house:

 

An odd conversion, note the wheel arch.  My guess is a far conversion of a van body to a lower floor trailer maybe.

[Mol_PMB]

Is this within scope for this thread?

If not, apologies. Freightliner Leyland Ergomatic, Salford/Manchester, 1970.

 

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, chrissixties said:

Thanks Merfyn, that’s really helpful and thanks for taking the trouble to look through all your images too. Your model looks splendid BTW. The only other alternative livery image I found on the internet this morning was this one below. What would your best guess be for the earliest year the trailer would have had this rail freight livery? And what would your best guess explanation be for it’s existence?

Difficult to say but that could be the colour known as stone, then again it could be a badly faded yellow.

[Merfyn Jones]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Difficult to say but that could be the colour known as stone, then again it could be a badly faded yellow.

 

I think that a lot of people saw a few pictures of a trial livery in 1963 which has gained a bit of an 'urban myth' status.  It seems to have gained a name of stone, but I think it was a grey colour.  I have found just 3 pictures of the colour which was decided against and all subsequent repaints were yellow.  Unless some more pictures of it in general use can be found. 

Yellow did fade and a paint job from c1965 could be awaiting repaint by c1968+  . Trailers did not seem to get painted very often.

[chrissixties]

On 08/01/2022 at 18:12, Merfyn Jones said:

 

I think that a lot of people saw a few pictures of a trial livery in 1963 which has gained a bit of an 'urban myth' status.  It seems to have gained a name of stone, but I think it was a grey colour.  I have found just 3 pictures of the colour which was decided against and all subsequent repaints were yellow.  Unless some more pictures of it in general use can be found. 

Yellow did fade and a paint job from c1965 could be awaiting repaint by c1968+  . Trailers did not seem to get painted very often.

Hi Merfyn, regarding the ‘stone’ livery - could it be the grey coloured Scarabs that feature in the middle of this fantastic 1966 video about frieght handling in Sheffield? I love the way that the yards feature a mix of Yellow, grey as well as the older maroon and cream liveries all mixed together - as well as the ‘new’ Townsman. 

 

[Fat Controller]

The grey Scarabs in the clips of Sheffield Sundries Terminal are ones that had been taken into internal use as 'shunters'; these were common at the bigger depots. The 'grey' liveried (personally, I thought it more beige) Scarabs were a trial, quickly superseded by the yellow .

[russ p]

40 minutes ago, chrissixties said:

Hi Merfyn, regarding the ‘stone’ livery - could it be the grey coloured Scarabs that feature in the middle of this fantastic 1966 video about frieght handling in Sheffield? I love the way that the yards feature a mix of Yellow, grey as well as the older maroon and cream liveries all mixed together - as well as the ‘new’ Townsman. 

 

 

I love that film, probably the only time I've  heard a class 30

[Merfyn Jones]

6 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

The grey Scarabs in the clips of Sheffield Sundries Terminal are ones that had been taken into internal use as 'shunters'; these were common at the bigger depots. The 'grey' liveried (personally, I thought it more beige) Scarabs were a trial, quickly superseded by the yellow .

 

And did you notice the different shades of grey (not 50) but I suspect the paint jobs were quick slap on, with what ever was to hand, to remind drivers not to use on the road.

[Merfyn Jones]

A new website for those with an interest in the railway motors from all ages.  

Many have asked over the years on this site if there is a list of vehicles owned by the railway companies, well a start has been made and it is growing slowly.   At present there are over 22,000 vehicles from so far the LMS & BR LMR, the Southern Railway & Region, and Network Rail.  Others will be added as time allows.

 

Railway Company Road Vehicles Index (ltsv.com)

 

 

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, Merfyn Jones said:

A new website for those with an interest in the railway motors from all ages.  

Many have asked over the years on this site if there is a list of vehicles owned by the railway companies, well a start has been made and it is growing slowly.   At present there are over 22,000 vehicles from so far the LMS & BR LMR, the Southern Railway & Region, and Network Rail.  Others will be added as time allows.

 

Railway Company Road Vehicles Index (ltsv.com)

 

 

The main site, London Transport Service Vehicles has been around for years. A very interesting site.