Transition era Parcels stock - mainly Western Region

[Newportnobby]

Many of you are aware my layout 'Kimbolted' is set very close to Oxford. This enables me to run stock from the WR, SR, LMR and ER.
My LMR parcels stock comprises Dapol & Farish CCTs, Maroon full brake and 57ft maroon GUV (Farish) and the Farish/NGS StoveR.
The SR is well represented with CCTs and Maunsell brake van (Dapol) along with MK1 full brake, MK1 GUV, Bogie B luggage vans and BR PLV (all Farish)
ER comprises Farish full brakes, Farish MK1 GUVs and the Farish/NGS Thompson full brakes.
However, the WR is the poor relation here with just Farish MK1 GUV, MK1 full brakes, the K41 Collett full brake from Dapol/NGS and a set of the Farish MK1 TPOs.

Can any of the coach formation experts out there suggest any RTR parcels vehicles I am missing out on (my ability to build kits has long gone), other than leavening the formations out with 4 wheeled box vans?


@Karhedron immediately springs to mind.

[dodger]

The only other Western van I can think of is a Siphon G, if they are still available.

Dodger

[NeMo]

What era are you modelling, @newportnobby?

Cheers, NeMo

[dodger]

Just thought of another GW van that may have been included in a parcels train, a Fruit D.

Dodger

[tunneroner61]

For the WR collection the Fruit D suggest by dodger is quite appropriate. Any of the Dapol Siphons would be ok. Also the GF Hawksworth Full brake. The CCT was pretty universal so you could add one to your WR parcels stock.

[Steven B]

As has been mentioned, a Fruit D or Siphon (Dapol for earlier outside frame, Lima for inside frame) would fit nicely.

There are twenty three pages of parcels trains on this RMWeb thread, a lot of which have had the contents of the train listed:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66383-modelling-a-traditional-parcels-train/

Don't get too worried about only having GWR vans in a train serving the BR(W). Parcels wouldn't be moved from van to van as they travelled. Instead the vans would be shunted. Also, many parcels trains were quite short. There's a picture on the RMWeb thread of a Deltic hauling around half a dozen vans and there are plenty of others with only two or three vans in the train.

Happy modelling.

Steven B.

[port perran]

I run several parcels trains of very mixed stock including a couple of Midland vans (even here in Cornwall).
With Kimbolted being set in Oxford you would be spoiled for choice.
However, I take your point, limiting it to pure WR vehicles does make it difficult.

[Newportnobby]

What era are you modelling, @newportnobby?

Cheers, NeMo

Transition - so let's say 1955 - 1965 (no blue diesels), Neil

[Newportnobby]

There are twenty three pages of parcels trains on this RMWeb thread, a lot of which have had the contents of the train listed:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66383-modelling-a-traditional-parcels-train/

Thanks for that link, Steve. Some great pics I can glean info from!
Ta to all who have replied so far. It looks like I'm on the right track so far and I'm sure I've got 3 x Fruit Ds and a Dapol Siphon somewhere

[Karhedron]

Dapol's Siphon Gs were common on Parcel services (although the Siphon Hs less so). As others have already mentioned the Hawksworth BG and Fruit D also fit well. I think that covers all the RTR stock. 4-wheelers were actually pretty common in Parcels trains so don't feel bad about bulking out rakes with them.

Castle on a parcel train at Oxford in 1964.


Hall passing Didcot on a parcels train in 1965.


A Hymek at Salisbury in 1966


Little


And large!


Western Campaigner at Gloucester


Lion on a parcel train at Maidenhead in 1962


A Hymek leaving London


A definite case of overkill!


Hall at Waltham in 1961


Hopefully that should give you some food for though. 

[Newportnobby]

Thanks for those, Matt.
The b & w pic of Lion makes the loco look quite spectral

[Bealman]

Awesome pics.   

And that's from an ex-ER lad! 

[johnlambert]

Parcels trains could comprise an almost infinite variety of stock. From memory you could sometimes get a BSK or two in a parcels train or a vacuum braked goods brake van.

The thread on RM web seemed to conclude that almost every parcels train needed at least one Southern Region van, no matter where it had come from or where it was going...

When did insulated fish vans start appearing in parcels trains?