mc1989

On 25/07/2020 at 08:37, HeatonLodge40 said:

That’s super thanks very much, I didn’t think of companies house. 
 

This is a great layout and right in my modelling era of the 1980's. On the subject of the Yorkshire Water company logo, there is one before the white rose one,that was used up until around 1990. It is shown in this picture on the Bedford Astravan.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/midestpics/18532188225/in/photolist-ueCiUD-xnhk7y-2jefe8h-2jfPzVM-2jefe7F-2jefe6U-2jei51S-2ipW3Th-nRiVXJ-eRNZt5-eegja2-o1X7td-eeNurh-pXxMjY-ebgVDG-25p5WwD-dtukXi-dscMKz-dtfN4G-pHfS8A-A9FbUq-2j1ZGWy-nzMi3S-2jfPH4Q-AdvZxb

Sounds like a good project start Merfyn. I was planning on building a van extension onto the Oxford mk2 astra 3 door using plasticard, but I don't know if it would work with adding on the roof section to the roof on the existing mk2 astra hatchback model.

21 minutes ago, PerthBox said:

 

The former Perth Signal Section Manager's BR Mk2 Astravan is still going strong, you see it about town from time to time. Can't remember the reg off the top of my head now though. One of the former Railtrack Ops white Mk3 Astravans is still alive and well in Perth too, owned by its long-time driver who bought it from the leasing company.

That sounds like it has been well looked after! Does the mk2 Astravan have the earlier "Bedford" bumper grille or later one from 1989 onwards? 

25 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

The Mk.2 Bedford Astravan is basically the 2-door estate without windows punched out, but the shapes for them are visible in the rear panels. From Mk.3 onwards the Atsravan was based on the 4-door estate with new rear panels, as the 2-door estate had been dropped. There's a reasonable Mk.2 drawing here. The front grilles were revised from the beginning of 1989 and the Mk.3 was a Vauxhall (I have a feeling the last of the Mk.2s may have been badged Vauxhall too).

There are some period Bedford brochures here - scroll down towards the bottom of the section and the Astravan (and Astramax) are included.

Thanks for these Bernard, they will help with my research.

I have seen that Escort Combi van you made, and it definitely looks the part. I don't know how easy it would be to scratchbuild a van body on the back of the mk2 astra hatchback model, but I know that the doors are the right size along with the wheel positions similar to the van.

41 minutes ago, Merfyn Jones said:

 

Unfortunately Matt, nobody does a model Astra in 1/76, wish they did.

B R started buying Bedford Astra Mk.1 when the old HA was dropped, but only in small numbers, from A reg.  The Mk.2 came along from D reg. in small numbers but from F reg. onward (1988) they came in huge numbers up to the H reg.  Then the Mk.3 as J & K reg. to the run up to the end.

Our first was a G reg. for our boss.  I was very impressed compared to the HA and Itals we had. I went out and bought an estate version followed by a Mk.3,  both very good reliable cars. 

Thanks for the info Merfyn, looks like it might be a scratchbuild job, unless it is possible to modify and extend the Oxford Diecast mk2 Astra hatchback model. Do you know where the orange roofbars came from, as they weren't standard accessories on those vans, and I had noticed in your pictures the mk2 astravan has side vents in the van body. What were these for, as they were not standard on the vans? 

This has been a great topic on British Rail yellow vehicles, but I am more interested in the mk2 Bedford Astravans. Does anyone know if you can get a kit or similar to make a replica of a British Rail one in 1:76, and did British Rail first use them in 1990 on a "G" registration? Those orange roof rail cross bars looked good on them too, but I don't think many of these vans will survive now after BR sold them. 

Cheers, Matt.