Merfyn Jones Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 (edited) merf, here is a couple more pics of the old girl, very much a rolling restoration. let me know what measurements you need, as I am getting it from storage for some work to take place over easter. Andy Andy What I need is the length of the chassis wheelbase and the length of the box body (without tail lift) They look to be the same body on Roadrunner, Dodge or Cargos. A tidy looking motor, what's the reg. number by the way ? Ringo I remember that Holyhead one, looks like on the prom at Penmaenmawr long before the new road was built along there. The chevron stripes were not on all of them, in fact each seemed to be done differently. A case of depot individuality. Would that be the same Vic Smith who was a teacher up here in North Wales about 30 years back ? Merf. Edited April 2, 2012 by Merfyn Jones Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Theirs a little bit here and a pic about making the BR Karrier Bantam tractor units , or should I say the FAVTK575 ! never knew theh had stainless exhausts . http://commer.org.nz/Commer_Connections/TonyDeane.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Theirs a little bit here and a pic about making the BR Karrier Bantam tractor units , or should I say the FAVTK575 ! never knew theh had stainless exhausts . http://commer.org.nz.../TonyDeane.html Interesting shot shows that the manufacturer painted and branded them. I have records for 1218 of them being registered between August 1961 and July 1967. So these were delivered alongside Scammell Scarabs and Townsmen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringo Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Merf, I beleive yes that is the same Mr Smith, as regards to the chevrons, all of the recovery van I knew all had them, but the last BR delivered ones prior to Privatisation were delivered mainly unlettered, no arrows etc, although some did have "Recovery Equipment" on them, so I assume that Andye's one is one of those that wasnt lettered, the "emergency response vehicle" is an EWS'ism. According to the BRB road vehicle livery diagram book I have all Breakdown vans should have chevrons. Had a good day at work today, I had a meeting with Undergrounds Emergency Response Unit, so got to have a detailed look at their recovery trucks, basically Mercedes trucks, built by the same company that constructs the London Fire Brigade vehicles, so very similar to a fire engine......which has set me thinking, of coverting a couple of Oxfords fire units into a couple of LUL ERU vehicles.........whatch this space! Cheers R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 4, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 4, 2012 Ringo, for pics of LT service vehicles check out the LTSV/sv2 website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Merf, I beleive yes that is the same Mr Smith, as regards to the chevrons, all of the recovery van I knew all had them, but the last BR delivered ones prior to Privatisation were delivered mainly unlettered, no arrows etc, although some did have "Recovery Equipment" on them, so I assume that Andye's one is one of those that wasnt lettered, the "emergency response vehicle" is an EWS'ism. According to the BRB road vehicle livery diagram book I have all Breakdown vans should have chevrons. Had a good day at work today, I had a meeting with Undergrounds Emergency Response Unit, so got to have a detailed look at their recovery trucks, basically Mercedes trucks, built by the same company that constructs the London Fire Brigade vehicles, so very similar to a fire engine......which has set me thinking, of coverting a couple of Oxfords fire units into a couple of LUL ERU vehicles.........whatch this space! Cheers R As you say, the chevrons not on the late ones , as below. Seen at Gaerwen when brand new. I believe this was still around in Scotland till very recently. Look forward to seeing the LUL vehicle, had thought of that idea myself, maybe in the BTPolice livery. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ringo, for pics of LT service vehicles check out the LTSV/sv2 website. A superb web site. I would love to see somthing similar for the B R fleet, but I wouldn't know how to go about starting one. M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 5, 2012 A superb web site. I would love to see somthing similar for the B R fleet, but I wouldn't know how to go about starting one. M The On Track Plant (OTP) site covers Road-Railers. You have to be a member and signed in to view the pics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The On Track Plant (OTP) site covers Road-Railers. You have to be a member and signed in to view the pics. Yes, a usefull resource for details of those. Shame it's only a small proportion of the fleet. Detail of the Bedford/Bruffs is very well covered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Latest off the workbench. A Dodge G08 of 1986, D818WRC allocated to the PWay at Llandudno Jct. This one for my layout as well as the motor collection. BT chassis with medium size wheels, a modified Jon Hall body and a RTI cab with the windscreen shape altered a bit. Behind is one I made earlier the 1978 Dodge G7575 with a plasticard body on a Cooper Craft chassis, this being the S&T van which had a very long service life of 14 years Next up the Minivan as discovered above by jcb3 Merf. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 (edited) Nice- no shortage of 'service' vehicles on your layout Merf ! I bought the BTF film in a compilation ,cheapish on Amazon , interesting but no better views of the mini van. This months Railway Bylines has a great shot of a BR Fordson Major / Muir Hill shunter inside front cover and some distant Morris views inside, all on the Wisbech Tramway. Edited April 10, 2012 by jcb 3c Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This months Railway Bylines has a great shot of a BR Fordson Major / Muir Hill shunter inside front cover and some distant Morris views inside, all on the Wisbech Tramway. The Morris is NXP123 (acording to my magnifying glass) fleet No. MW 4310 E of June 1953, a Morris Commercial NVS12/3 2ton flat. The Eastern being quite fond of these, the Midland had a few also. The Tractor a Fordson Major with Muir Hill Boydell conversion dates from May 1959, CRW 0320 E was not registered. Did you notice the second one at Wisbech near the 04 shunter. Registeres TGU??? appears to be also a Fordson Major but with Wetherhill Epping Auto Shunter conversion, from a batch numbered RY 0303-10 E. Anybody for an Oxford Diecast conversion ? Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andye Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Andy What I need is the length of the chassis wheelbase and the length of the box body (without tail lift) They look to be the same body on Roadrunner, Dodge or Cargos. A tidy looking motor, what's the reg. number by the way ? Hi merf, Dimension wise the box body is 5.65 meters long, not including the tail lift, give or take a few cm, the other dimension is from wheel centre to wheel centre, and is 4.5 M ish. I am more than happy to get any info you need - your sets on flickr have been a big inspiration for this restoration, I have looked over and over again! So thank you very much for taking all those pics, they are a real piece of nostalga! The reg is J839 BNW, i I bought it from paul (aka semmytrailer ) last year, picture below was taken on the day I collected it and drove it down the M6, and it didnt miss a beat! My partner did comment that she thought it looked like it drove straight out of a scrapyard, she was almost right! The only history I know of it is pauls description on flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/semmytrailer/5450315370/ so if you or anyone has any history at all I would be so pleased to know! The only other picture of similar vehicle is the second one, which looks like its from the same batch, shown at eastleigh depot a few years back, but since gone. The body is by WH Bence. This one is in very original condition, most of the internal fittings are still there, except the cooker - and its also unusual as it was never re branded , ref ringos question, the arrows and BR lettering were removed at some point, as the shadow was visible in the paint, but the emergency response vehicle lettering was left on, so i think that was original from new, as there is nothing to suggest it was repainted, and its also in BR typeset. I have mereley replaced what was there. It never got any rebranding, and the other stickers it gained were some small ones saying gateshead WRD, so I presume it was used as a depot hack for a while It was driven by a chap called "baldy paul", who, according to the repair book crashed it twice, and there was a lot of written graffiti in tipex pen referring to baldy paul, and making him smile, which clearly he didnt. The last picture was taken this morning, new side doors fitted from the one at carlisle, new sleeper carrier at the back fitted and refurbed front wheels. Still a lot to do yet though. Oh, and if anyone knows what type of cooker it should have, I would love to know! Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Andy Many thanks for taking the trouble to measure the bus. A model can come that much closer now. I had not realised it was the same one as on Paul's flickr site, although I should have realised that there couldn't be 2 of them preserved. The extra photos help as well. Good luck with the continued restoration. I hope I catch up with it at a show one day. Cheers Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 (edited) Yes Andy great to see some being preserved , this age of truck is just in that era when people don't save them. Like British motorbikes though , as we have no Truck industry left people will be oohing and awing over all British stuff in a few years, and these were such a part of the 'street' scene.. Must be good fun doing detailing in 1.1 scale ! Good info on Wisbech Merf , didn't realise without magnifying glass and in Smiths ( tightwad ) there was so much detail ! thought the two Majors were the same one. Edited April 11, 2012 by jcb 3c Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 11, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 11, 2012 On the subject of the Fordson/Muir-Hill shunters the one illustrated in Railway Bylines was one of a batch delivered in 1959 based on the 'Power Major' model. I have a booklet about Muir-Hill products and in there is a photograph of one from the same batch numbered 755 X0 M, this one does not have the shunters platform giving more room for the number so that the 'M' is placed below the rest of the number. There is also a photo of a slightly earlier one (1954) numbered RW8106 N the differences are that the number is in one line ahead of the shunters platform and a different style of cab with a vertical windscreen and what looks like a canvas roof with unglazed sides with roll down canvas weather shields. The roof is quite deep with sharply curved corners like a Land Rover hardtop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Another flickr find. A rear and roof of one of the late BR recovery vehicles, Roadrunner or DAF 45. Also a Transit pick up in Railfreight Distribution branding. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryp28/6921241854/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andye Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Yes Andy great to see some being preserved , this age of truck is just in that era when people don't save them. Like British motorbikes though , as we have no Truck industry left people will be oohing and awing over all British stuff in a few years, and these were such a part of the 'street' scene.. Must be good fun doing detailing in 1.1 scale ! Good info on Wisbech Merf , didn't realise without magnifying glass and in Smiths ( tightwad ) there was so much detail ! thought the two Majors were the same one. Detailing on a large scale is fine, but polishing and mopping the body was a tad tedious! For some reason I have become attached to it, I like driving it, it does 58 mph at a push! I agree, its from an era where there will be nothing left, and its unususal, in fact so unusual it doesnt really fit in anywhere, except here! Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andye Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Another flickr find. A rear and roof of one of the late BR recovery vehicles, Roadrunner or DAF 45. Also a Transit pick up in Railfreight Distribution branding. http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/ Thats a brillaint pic, and one I have not seen before, despiet spending hours on flickr looking! I would say thats a mid 1990s shot, and I would guess thats a leyland daf 45 mk2, L reg and on, as the roof detail mathes the one in your shot at Gaerwen, i.e a solid roof and less vents, if you look at my roof its transclusent with two vents at the front, which may denote an earlier build. It has the EWS lettering along with the BR re railing lettering, looks like a bence body as well. The side window is higher than the side door, so definatley a later one. Shame I cant make out the reg! One random question for merf, at the warley show last year there was a southern region layout with a 4mm ford cargo crewbus - was that one of yours? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Thats a brillaint pic, and one I have not seen before, despiet spending hours on flickr looking! I would say thats a mid 1990s shot, and I would guess thats a leyland daf 45 mk2, L reg and on, as the roof detail mathes the one in your shot at Gaerwen, i.e a solid roof and less vents, if you look at my roof its transclusent with two vents at the front, which may denote an earlier build. It has the EWS lettering along with the BR re railing lettering, looks like a bence body as well. The side window is higher than the side door, so definatley a later one. Shame I cant make out the reg! One random question for merf, at the warley show last year there was a southern region layout with a 4mm ford cargo crewbus - was that one of yours? Yes, my opinion was same as the Gaerwen shot. That was a K reg. I have seen one or two Cargo crew buses about, popular because the Corgi cab is the cheapest option. I have not done one myself yet. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringo Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) Andye, your second picture, the vehicle on the left I think was H745 Y(?)GD, and its the old vehicle from Eastleigh, but it was originally based at Ipswich, but we transferred it in 2001, from Ipswich bottom yard, and it should have gone to Old Oak, but when we went up to fetch it, Eastleigh had already been up and nicked it! (sory reallocated it). I have no idea of the one on the right though, odd ball crew cab on that one. I see your comment on the "Emergency Respose Vehicle" on your truck, it was fitted by EWS but their very early days as in EW & S, when they still used a standard BR'ish type face, thats why its in capitals, BR didnt use all capitals (except Reggie Railways, but that was a completely different typeface). Nice truck though, had many years of memories on our old Dodge Commando, and you can get 58mph out of yours, we were lucky to get 45mph out of it, and boy you knew that you were doing 45! Keep up the good work on yours. Cheers R Edited April 12, 2012 by ringo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevblokey Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 A superb web site. I would love to see somthing similar for the B R fleet, but I wouldn't know how to go about starting one. M Merf, Tom Young, the guy who runs the LTSV site is a very approachable guy, if you want to know more about his LTSV site, email him, feel free to name drop me if you wish. Kev Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andye Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Andye, your second picture, the vehicle on the left I think was H745 Y(?)GD, and its the old vehicle from Eastleigh, but it was originally based at Ipswich, but we transferred it in 2001, from Ipswich bottom yard, and it should have gone to Old Oak, but when we went up to fetch it, Eastleigh had already been up and nicked it! (sory reallocated it). I have no idea of the one on the right though, odd ball crew cab on that one. I see your comment on the "Emergency Respose Vehicle" on your truck, it was fitted by EWS but their very early days as in EW & S, when they still used a standard BR'ish type face, thats why its in capitals, BR didnt use all capitals (except Reggie Railways, but that was a completely different typeface). Nice truck though, had many years of memories on our old Dodge Commando, and you can get 58mph out of yours, we were lucky to get 45mph out of it, and boy you knew that you were doing 45! Keep up the good work on yours. Cheers R Hi Ringo, Well thanks a damn lot, you have thrown a proper spanner in the works!!!!!!! I was so convinced that the lettering was original, but in retrospect the "emergency response vehicle" isnt a very "BR " term, much more like written by PR people. That would suggest that the BR branding was removed and this apllied, as there is no evidence in the paint of any other branding at all. And you are right about the caps as well, good point. My dilemma is what to do, I will leave it as is for the moment, as some pictures may be discovered of it in use, or a similar vehicle. Its a shame it doesnt have the chevrons, they would look rather good! In the eastliegh shot, the oddball one is a mystery, as merf said earlier a very late build. Speed wise my one will manage almost 60, but like the others you feel it and its noisy, but good fun on an occasional basis. I did make a bit of effort to get the dodge commando that was at reading depot, but that was out of use when I was an apprentice there in 1989, so probably wasnt a viable restoration, whereas my one had a plate / mot, even if it was done by a blind man! A question for merf, do your records show anything about J839 BNW, or do you know how many of that type were built? And BTW, the 4mm versions you did are brilliant! Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringo Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Andye, sorry for that spanner (as long as its a Spanner Mk3...), any way, given that your truck is a "J" reg, you may well have had the BR arrows and Rerailing Equipment on it as J reg vehicles still had the arrows and "British Rail" applied to them. It should be in the same position as Merfs picture of the K reg 45, though it would only have the arrows and not "British Rail", but would have had BR on the ends as you have it now on yours. My old Astra van which was a J reg , J653DVO, still had "British Rail" on the back of it when I took it over in 2001 at Old OAk Common, EWS wanted to remove it, so I took the van home, cleaned it, and even polished it! So I had the only official EWS "British Rail" van .....it lasted until the June when the engine blew up, they repaired it but went soon after being replaced by a boring white new astra....not the same! So you were an apprentice at Reading, when did you leave there, as I was based at Thames and Chiltern HQ at OOC, and looked after OOC, Aylesbury and Reading from 1991 to 1993. Cheers R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Andye, your second picture, the vehicle on the left I think was H745 Y(?)GD, and its the old vehicle from Eastleigh, but it was originally based at Ipswich, but we transferred it in 2001, from Ipswich bottom yard, and it should have gone to Old Oak, but when we went up to fetch it, Eastleigh had already been up and nicked it! (sory reallocated it). I have no idea of the one on the right though, odd ball crew cab on that one. Cheers R The Eastleigh van was H745YGO, a London registration, part of a batch of YGOs for the Southern region, so I wonder if it came from somewhere SR to Ipswich ? The other 'odd ball' is of the less common crew bus with 8 seats and 2ton tool compartment, usualy used by PWay welders, although similar bodies with roof racks were used by the OHL people. This N reg. one is certainly the very last BR crew bus of any kind that I have come across Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now