BR Dia.1/801 Fish/Parcels Vans from Rapido Trains UK

[PMP]

13 hours ago, JohnR said:

Given the problems with Hornby's 1/800 van, heres hoping Rapido follow up there 1/801 van with a model of that too. 

Parkside already do an excellent kit (PC53) of the Dia.800 with both types of axle boxes as options within.

[JohnR]

18 minutes ago, PMP said:

Parkside already do an excellent kit (PC53) of the Dia.800 with both types of axle boxes as options within.

 

I know, and I've built some. However, I know they're not painted as well as an RTR version would be. 

[Fredo]

Hi, did you manage to research from a surviving van that had an intact chassis and wheels? Also do you know if these vans were likely to have worked to Whitby? Thanks Fred

[The Johnster]

They were BR vans and therefore common user, Fred, no reason they would not have found their way to Draculaville, both as Insulfish and SPV vehicles, with and without roller-bearing axleboxes.  

Edited April 24 by The Johnster

[Steven B]

Unless I'm mistaken, two Rapido and one Hornby van could be found in Whitby yard 60 years ago:

(Ernies Railway Archive on Flickr)

 

Steven B

[RapidoCorbs]

A good example of how filthy they got!

[Ben Alder]

11 hours ago, Steven B said:

Unless I'm mistaken, two Rapido and one Hornby van could be found in Whitby yard 60 years ago:

(Ernies Railway Archive on Flickr)

 

Steven B

 

We present day detail modellers have so much to thank John Boyes for.......

[Steven B]

Given Rapido's history of producing fun but not quite prototypical liveries, can we expect an up-to-date interpretation of Lima's infamous "Grimsby Fish" van? "Margate Fish" perhaps?  😉

 

Perhaps one branded for JR Hartley? With a headboard for the Flying Kipper?

Edited April 25 by Steven B

[franciswilliamwebb]

12 minutes ago, Steven B said:

Perhaps one branded for JR Hartley?

 

"Fly Shunting"😉

[Covkid]

1 hour ago, Steven B said:

Given Rapido's history of producing fun but not quite prototypical liveries, can we expect an up-to-date interpretation of Lima's infamous "Grimsby Fish" van? "Margate Fish" perhaps?  😉

 

Perhaps one branded for JR Hartley? With a headboard for the Flying Kipper?

 

1 hour ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

"Fly Shunting"😉

 

Haha "Fly shunting" by Chargeman Hartley - does have a ring to it !!!

[Wheatley]

14 hours ago, Ben Alder said:

 

We present day detail modellers have so much to thank John Boyes for.......

 

Indeed. Most of his contemporaries would have taken a 3/4 view of the engine and ignored the rest. He took some of Balmenach and Dailuaine distilleries where you have to look hard to find the distillery pug in amongst all the "fascinating industrial semi-grot set in magnificent scenery" of the rest of the picture. 

[JohnR]

5 hours ago, Steven B said:

Given Rapido's history of producing fun but not quite prototypical liveries, can we expect an up-to-date interpretation of Lima's infamous "Grimsby Fish" van? "Margate Fish" perhaps?  😉

 

Perhaps one branded for JR Hartley? With a headboard for the Flying Kipper?

 

[The Johnster]

On 25/04/2024 at 13:11, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

"Fly Shunting"😉

 

Which I was told on my guards' induction course was dangerous, unless the flies are tied together for safety.🤫

 

[Downendian]

I was intrigued by this photo of 1/800 and 1/801 vans at Temple Meads headed by D7017 in 1974, which is in the RMweb thread I linked to earlier. By the great Flickr Bristol railway legend Stephen Dowle - he’s captured my youth perfectly!

Both vans (leading is 1/801 W87529) second looks like a 1/800) appear to be bauxite livery with a slight chance they are just filthy white. On perusing both the RCTS 1972 & 1974 coaching stock books only the 1972 edition list wagons with W-prefixes. By 1974 they are listed as SPVs with no W prefixes listed, I’m assuming maybe incorrectly that these W-prefixed vans  are examples that were classed as freight stock and not SPVs, and that the RCTS 1974 volume has omitted non-SPVs from the list. Unfortunately there’s no details of this working but I would love to know what it is. Both wagons appear to have roller bearings, lucky I spotted that as I’m onto the underframe bits tomorrow.

I’ve just started another Parkside 1/800 and decided to paint it in bauxite to match the above wagons, and preordered 4 Rapido 1/801s. I feel another rake coming on! 
Neil

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

Hi Neil,

This probably won't answer your question of identifying the pictured Bristol working,but thought I'd throw it in the ring anyway.

Within the Bradford Barton "The Warships" book is a magnificent G F Gillham pic at Aller Jct. of D868 Zephyr,with what is described as an up "NCL sundries block train".Apart from what looks like a Conflat or two,the train appears to be entirely consisting of SPV vans.H/C is 6A29,perhaps from Plymouth?

Also,in the recent excellent "Hydraulic Memories" by Roger Geach,is a pic of a freight which the caption says ....."sundries parcel vans from Drump Lane,Redruth." These look like they could be the same type of van.

Neil.

[Downendian]

Thanks Neil - I did notice that the second van has Plymouth chalked on it, so this sounds like the workings you describe. The date is almost certainly right (22/7/74) as D7017 has its raised numerals replaced with vinyls, so the goods 1/800 and 1/801 were still in service. Next stop the working timetables.

Neil

[Cwmtwrch]

13 hours ago, Downendian said:

with a slight chance they are just filthy white

All visible lettering is white, so not a white body.

[C126]

13 hours ago, Downendian said:

Both vans (leading is 1/801 W87529) second looks like a 1/800) appear to be bauxite livery

 

Please forgive my possible ignorance, but I thought these were painted in bauxite only when in non-revenue earning service.  Are you sure it is not rail blue, or coated with a thick layer of filth?  Lovely pic though.

 

Edited May 9 by C126

[Halvarras]

FWIW - Page 21 of David Larkin's 'BR General Parcels Rolling Stock - A Pictorial Survey' (Bradford Barton) shows LNER-ordered DE75575 with oil axleboxes, in goods vehicle bauxite livery and lettered 'VANFIT'. The caption explains that the majority of these were demoted to stores vans but a small number were classified as ordinary goods vans, but only for a short time - "a few years". DE75575 was photographed at Warrington in 1975 employed as a stores van for a Ballast Cleaner, with steam heating pipe removed. Another such van in stores use, DE75305, is also shown in scruffy white livery, at York in 1968.

 

17 hours ago, Downendian said:

I was intrigued by this photo of 1/800 and 1/801 vans at Temple Meads headed by D7017 in 1974, which is in the RMweb thread I linked to earlier. By the great Flickr Bristol railway legend Stephen Dowle - he’s captured my youth perfectly!

 

 

I first saw 7017 in this guise also at BTM the previous month (1st June). Some sources say it was repainted and lost its cast numbers that July, however 'The Railway Magazine' had a report of it being seen in sparkling condition passing through Trowbridge (IIRC) on 18th May - in other words it was about to get its famous (some would say infamous!) makeover exactly 50 years ago.

 

As for the livery of those vans, the number position at the right-hand end and darker patch above where I'd guess 'SPV' has been painted out would indicate BR blue; especially by 1974.