Beer tankers on the steam network.

[trkilliman]

There was a time when beer was sent bulk in rail tankers, in a similar way as milk was distributed across the U.K. Compared to milk volumes it must have been miniscule. At one time well water was even transported by rail from Burton-on-Trent to London, enabling Pale ale's to be brewed in the Capital. London water was chalky hence the dominance of Porter style dark ales for many years.

There have been and continue to be special commisions from certain model shops depicting these tankers, and some covered vans lettered as belonging to individual breweries.  I'm trying to establish just how commonplace these tankers/vans actually were, and importantly when they all but ceased. I model the early 1950s. I see them as private owner stock so wonder how they faired with 1948 Nationalisation?

[javlinfaw7]

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/7-fops/fo-grain.htm   Is about the only information I have come across on line
and this is about the only relatively modern picture
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-3/p229242459-3.jpg is

[trkilliman]

Thank you javinflaw7 for the link.

I'm a bit of a stickler for things be truly representative, well for the greatest part, and this is where I wonder about the special commisions. Don't get me wrong they can be quite attractive, but I wonder if they actually existed with some of the smaller regional brewers as depicted in special commisions? And yes I have of course heard of rule 1... lol

[broadsword]

I had a look in Bing Images archive, most of the pix of beer tankers were of
models. however there were a few of real tankers, one of Scottish
and Newcastle, very similar to the PO Peco tankers with the wire bracing
at the side and one of Burton Breweries, also a few which were conflats
with one or two beer vats on top. 

[Railwaygun]

Guinness had a class08 at Park Royal for many years

http://railwayherald.com/imagingcentre/view/410424/PL

[port perran]

I've long felt that some of he PO wagons are somewhat fanciful although I do actually quite like the, (even though they were few and far between by the tome of my own modelling period).
I rather like the idea of ale travelling by tanker but as has been said, it was in fact quite rare.

[cjdodd]

Not beer but i used a bit of poetic license