Milk Tanker Numbering

[REGP]

Shows how observant I am, as I have only just noticed the Express Dairies Milk Tankers I bought from Dapol do not have any numbers on them.

Checking Dapols own shop on the web shows photos of 3 versions that appear not to have numbers, the liveries concerned are:
   Milk Marketing Board (2F 031 007)
   Express Dairies (2F 031 008)
   CWS (2F 031 009)

Whilst 2 versions are showing numbers and they are:
   West Park Dairies (2F 031 006)
   CO-OP Milk Newcastle (NL 115A)

This got me wondering is this prototypical, does anyone know?

Ray

[Bob G]

I hope Paul Bartlett does not mind me posting this too much, but while browsing his excellent site (https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/) I came across a version of the milk tanker that Dapol has not yet done.

Rather ironically the wagon is not for Milk! And it looks somewhat cleaner than some milk tankers were in use!



Bob

[Steven B]

I believe the tanks were owned by the dairy, with the underframe being owned by the Railway. Hence the tank wouldn't normally be numbered.

The chassis should have a number of details printed on it. These include a"D" shaped plate on each side displaying the wagon number and builder. There should also be "not to be loose shunted" markings together with length, wheelbase, weight, inspection dates and a star indicating the location of the brake release cord.

Only those tanks later taken into departmental use are likely to have wagon numbers on the tanks.

There are a number of later liveries that Dapol could apply onto their tanks:











Steven B.

[Karhedron]

Express Dairies often had the tank number on the ends of the milk tanks but I can't recall other dairies doing this.



All tanks had the railway numbers on the underframes I think.