Ex-GWR milk van in 1966?

[Trev52A]

Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.)

 

 

I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else?

 

Many thanks in advance

Trevor

 

 

[Danemouth]

It's a GWR Siphon. Have a look here

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_Siphon

 

Incidentally Accurascale have recently introduced a superb 00 model of it in various liveries seen here on Danemouth

 

Dave

[Cwmtwrch]

Commonly called a Siphon [the GWR code for it was Siphon G]. Siphons were designed for carrying milk churns and general parcels traffic; milk churns ceased to be used in the late 30s by and large, so thereafter Siphons were parcels stock, seen anywhere in Britain in BR days.

[Paul H Vigor]

43 minutes ago, Trev52A said:

Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.)

 

 

I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else?

 

Many thanks in advance

Trevor

 

 

https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/from-milk-to-the-mail-the-history-of-the-siphon-g

[Wickham Green too]

51 minutes ago, Trev52A said:

... in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W ...

Lasted another twelve years in traffic - 'til May '78 !

[Trev52A]

1 hour ago, Danemouth said:

It's a GWR Siphon. Have a look here

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_Siphon

 

Incidentally Accurascale have recently introduced a superb 00 model of it in various liveries seen here on Danemouth

 

Dave

Thanks for this, Dave.

Incidentally, I have often wondered why the word 'siphon' - now I know!

Cheers

Trevor

[Trev52A]

31 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/from-milk-to-the-mail-the-history-of-the-siphon-g

Fascinating stuff, Paul. Many thanks for the link.

 

Trevor

[hmrspaul]

3 hours ago, Trev52A said:

Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.)

 

 

I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else?

 

Many thanks in advance

Trevor

 

 

Back on the WR by July 1968 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrsiphon/e615a598e

 

Paul

[osbornsmodels]

(and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) 

Can't imagine but looking at the buffer height it was probably empty!

[Trev52A]

9 hours ago, osbornsmodels said:

(and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) 

Can't imagine but looking at the buffer height it was probably empty!

 

Well-spotted!

 

Trevor

[The Johnster]

Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated.  Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations  to collect their bundles.  The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day.

 

They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends.  The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery.

[Fat Controller]

9 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated.  Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations  to collect their bundles.  The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day.

 

They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends.  The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery.

As well as newspapers, Siphons saw use in carrying fresh fruit and flowers.  The fold-down shelves were useful for this. The flower traffic lasted into the 1970s.  Many survived in to the early198s; some even gained ETH plugs and sockets.

[The Stationmaster]

10 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated.  Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations  to collect their bundles.  The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day.

 

They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends.  The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery.

The newspapers packers (they were not 'sorters') were regular employed staff who worked for the wholesale newsagents.  In most cases they travelled up to London passenger, often in regularly reserved seats and then did their work on the way back home on the various paper trains making up  bundles, for wholesalers but mainly for individual newsagents, on behalf of their wholesale employer.   In that respect they were simply another part of the vast overnight workforce that produced and distributed newspapers.

 

On some trains particular vans were regularly booked to certain wholesaler the best example being the 03.25 Pasddington  - Oxford which had a gangwayed SG for Smith & sons packers for Oxford, a gangwayed SG for Mallet's packers for Oxford, a non-ganwayed SG for John Menziues packers for Didcoy and 2 Xnon[gangwayed SGs  Smith & Sins and Pettys; packers for Reading.  There was another gangwayed SG for Oxford which wasn't pre-allocated.  The train detached 4 vehicles rear at Reading including the two News SGs, anda the other non-gamwayed SG was detached off therear at Didcot leavinga BG on the rear for the rest of the trip to Oxford.   In front of the gangwaued SGs there was a PMV, a GUV and a BSK - the later providing the toilet facility plus it was used by traincrew travelling home from paddington although it was nota booked service for their us

 

At ine stage in the late '60s/ear;y '70s News from Paddington  was carried in other vehciles, including GUVs and BGs but they did not carry packers and the packing was done at destination.