BR Brutes (are there any left?)

[Shrewbly]

My main recollection of BRUTES is that they could harbour a scary amount of static electricity, presumably generated by the blue nylon curtains, though the insulating solid rubber tyres probably didn't help. I was once knocked to the ground by the static shock after touching one at Birmingham New Street.

 

[Spartacus]

My main recollection of BRUTES is that they could harbour a scary amount of static electricity, presumably generated by the blue nylon curtains, though the insulating solid rubber tyres probably didn't help. I was once knocked to the ground by the static shock after touching one at Birmingham New Street.

Didn't some have nylon wheels replacing the metal and ancient looking rubber ones?

 

[Helvellyn]

BR modified 57 foot BGs and GUVs, plus 37 foot CCTs, to carry BRUTEs, which included removing wooden step boards and ways to retain the BRUTE in the vehicle. Presumably the BRUTEs were designed to utilise the interior space well, accepting the narrower width of GUVs/CCTs? There were dedicated circuits operating just for BRUTEs.

• BG - Brake Gangway
• GUV - General Utility Van
• CCT - Covered Carriage Truck

Funny how things come around though. As part of Rail express systems/Royal Mail modernising letter and parcel carrying in the late 1990s the York trolley was introduced to carry mail bags and parcels - just wheel on/off at stations, and increasingly dedicated rail terminals. BGs and GUVs were modified as 'Super' with any end doors/gangways sealed, roller shutter doors and new floors/retaining mechanisms for the York trolleys. The big difference to a BRUTE? Yhe York trolleys were designed to be carried in Royal Mail lorries as well between sorting centres.

 

[Gloster]

Presumably the BRUTEs were designed to utilise the interior space well, accepting the narrower width of GUVs/CCTs?

As far as I can remember they were designed so that they could be in two rows down the sides of the vans with a passageway in between. The slightly narrower width of the GUV and CCT didn’t really matter as the important dimension was the width of the BRUTE at its floor level. The BG had their guards compartments removed.

 

[Helvellyn]

As far as I can remember they were designed so that they could be in two rows down the sides of the vans with a passageway in between. The slightly narrower width of the GUV and CCT didn’t really matter as the important dimension was the width of the BRUTE at its floor level. The BG had their guards compartments removed.

Were the modified BGs fitted with external handbrakes like Newspaper Vans converted from BGs? Odd the latter were renumbered to a new series (952xx for air braked, 953xx for vacuum braked) but not the former, given neither had accommodation for a Guard.

 

[Lemmy282]

I think I saw some during the goods by rail event at the Great Central Loughborough last year.
There were always a good selection of Brutes at the south end of Sheffield Midland platform 5, very useful for us spotters to sit in, staff didn't seem to mind.
I think that's where the idea for Platform 5 publications came from as the original members were all there.

 

[MadMac]

They were also used in the parcel conversion Class 127s. See HERE.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Would it be accurate to consider the Royal Mail's York trolley as an evolution of the BRUTE idea?

It's smaller and lighter, but still the same basic modular design and loading principle.

 

[WesternLancer]

Actually the museum at Bo'ness has two. I saw them in April 2022.

Brings back a few memories. I used to have to push them round the station where I worked from time to time. Manually push them that is.

 

[Rescars]

The manual use of BRUTEs to transfer food and drink (sust and stock) in unrefrigerated BGs to facilitate the victualling of restaurant car kitchens stabled in remote locations prior to special train workings would raise a number of eyebrows these days - on both food hygiene and health and safety grounds. Partly peeled potatoes transported in water-filled plastic dustbins were a particularly challenging part of a typical consignment.

 

[judethegreat]

When I did station work whilst at Royal Mail in the early nineties, I recall hearing tales about the brutes, and being warned to be very careful if we had to move one for some reason. As someone here said, just push, don't pull... I remember them being rather awkward to move when I did try...

And I'm sure I remember ones with wooden panelled sides??

But this has got me wondering what happened to all the (pre York*) Royal Mail trolleys, which I had LOTS of experience with, and were extremely easy and actually quite fun (for an 18/19 yo) to move, even when fully loaded.

I've a feeling though there were different versions around the country??

(*I'd left by the time they came in, though they were being talked about, as was the general decline...sorry, streamlining...of Royal Mail's use of rail, which had already slightly begun)

 

[Train wasp]

On the same topic with brutes that I haven’t seen since the end of slam door stock at Waterloo station is a tug with a water bowser attached to it. For filling the mk1 coach toilet water tanks.

 

[Western 52]

When I worked in the Post Office in the late 1980s we had a lot of former BR BRUTESs in internal use. They were mostly repainted in red and were maintained in a local workshop alongside the other mobile equipment, such as MATEs (Mail All-purpose Trolley Equipment). MATEs were a bit like a BRUTE with a plywood body.

 

[judethegreat]

Ah thanks...guess it's the mates I'm thinking of then.. I do remember them inside the sorting office being used for a local book seller's rather bulky and heavy mailouts..