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BR road vehicles c1990 pre-Railtrack


Pete 75C

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We're all familiar with the ubiquitous Network Rail Transit crewcab, seen today at railway locations all over the country, but I'm curious as to the kind of vehicles that would have been in use circa 1990, prior to the creation of Railtrack. I'm old enough to remember the Bedford mobile mess rooms in yellow with British Rail logo, but would these still have been around in 1990? I'm assuming the colour scheme would still have been yellow. Does anyone make any diecast suitable for the period? What I've seen would appear to be either much earlier or bang up-to-date. Thanks, Pete.

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A question that was on my very lips... I have nothing more to add!

 

Something I know very little about Steve... I found a couple of images on Flickr that would seem to fit the period:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/5238001622/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/7175816108/

 

The Volvo in the second picture is lettered for EWS, but the registration gives it away as older.

I guess I'm looking for a Leyland Daf 7.5T crew bus and a Sherpa/Freight Rover van... the Unimog's nice though!

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I used to remember seeing a 7.5t DAF crewbus parked in the yard at melton in the early 1990s, I seem to remember there used to be a Sherpa minibus too..

 

8053798737_6248d13ea1_c.jpg
Sherpa Van by tex99, on Flickr

 

Just wondered if there was any more I missed...

 

Ooh a Maestro....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/14863681266/

 

I think I want a landy though....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/merf29/5170644652/

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The Sherpa van is truly hideous. The Landy's nice but I really like the Maestro! What is wrong with me???

I think the simplest thing to do would be try and call up a product list of Oxford Diecast, Base Toys etc and make up a little shopping list. When I have the time, ebay should turn up something too. I only have the car park of a shunter's/engineers mess room to populate. The cars are easy. A Capri, a Cortina, an Escort, maybe a Sierra if I can find one. Local model shop had a really nice beige Austin Allegro estate which is a bit early but so awful it's a must-have. Definitely on the look-out for a Leyland Daf crew bus and maybe an Escort or Maestro van too.

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The Ford Cargo (done in OO as a cheap Corgi toy a few years back) is a good alternative to the Leyland for the 7.5t crew truck base - those trucks were really rather ubiquitous. 

And yep, yellow. Lots and lots of yellow!

This Leyland one was at Eastleigh in 2007 but still wearing BR era yellow (delete the Axiom rail logos!) - H puts it at being built between Aug 1990 to July 1991.

 

Axiom_Eastleigh_240707a-L.jpg

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Not a lot for me to add, as post # 6 has my collection linked to.

But the most common P Way crew bus in 1990 would be the Leyland Roadrunner, the replacement for the FG type which had all gone by then. Smaller vans and minibuses were Freight Rover Sherpas and Transits, and Bedford Astras.

An indication of age profile would be the small vans had a life expectancy of 4-5 years and larger vehicles 7 years. So in 1990 you would probably not see anything older than 1983 ish, (Y or A registration) and C or D for the little vans.

The Maestro van in the above photo is a replica, not B R.

Any further needs, like suitable registrations for your models, please ask.

Merf.

 

Kits for the Leyland Roadrunner cab in resin is available from Road Transport Images and the Sherpa van too. However nobody does an accurate crew bus body (yet) nor a wide Sherpa van which is much needed.

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Not a lot for me to add, as post # 6 has my collection linked to.

But the most common P Way crew bus in 1990 would be the Leyland Roadrunner, the replacement for the FG type which had all gone by then. Smaller vans and minibuses were Freight Rover Sherpas and Transits, and Bedford Astras.

An indication of age profile would be the small vans had a life expectancy of 4-5 years and larger vehicles 7 years. So in 1990 you would probably not see anything older than 1983 ish, (Y or A registration) and C or D for the little vans.

The Maestro van in the above photo is a replica, not B R.

Any further needs, like suitable registrations for your models, please ask.

Merf.

 

Kits for the Leyland Roadrunner cab in resin is available from Road Transport Images and the Sherpa van too. However nobody does an accurate crew bus body (yet) nor a wide Sherpa van which is much needed.

Merfyn,

Did BR ever re-use the bodies on new chassis?

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Looking at your location I'm surprised you're not seen it about? I live near Holt

Indeed I have. A month or two back you were in Sheringham and parked in the pick up/set down bays at the station (not the NNR station). I couldn't have missed it, could I? Looks terrific. Pete.

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I like that Russ, If it weren't for the kids I'd have something like that myself. A crewbus would be good on the school run but I don't think the Mrs would approve...

 

I showed my wife the picture of Russ's Maestro and even she liked it. I then asked if I could buy an old Sherpa minibus and paint it yellow. She said just two words and the second one was "off". Some people have no vision... :mellow:

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I am not a petrol head, but the mention of Maestros got me thinking.

Area Manager Bristol had a small pool of staff cars, very occasionally I would use one during my short spell as a supervisor 1988-91.

I am pretty certain two or three were Maestros, painted dark blue though, and with no identification, (possibly other than a h-v vest in the window).

 

cheers 

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The area manager at Middlesbrough had a dark blue metro with a small red double arrow on the door bottoms. This was replaced by two or three Peugeot 309s in mid blue also with red door arrows

Yes, now you mention it, I remember there were Peugots around that time,

those cars were driven pretty hard, (not by me!) as they sounded and looked rough,

 

cheers 

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