Experimental Milk Train in the 1980s?

[Ashley Hill]

Back around 1986ish I vaguely remember seeing a rake of blue tank wagons at Swindon. They were painted in an all over blue livery with either MMB or Milk Marketing Board on the side. I dont think they were six wheelers like the original ones and I cannot find any information regarding them. Did BR at this time ever consider re-introducing milk traffic again, or was this just a figment of my imagination?
The nearest image I could find that matches my memory is this Dapol model of the blue livery tank wagon with Milk Marketing Board and Milk on the side.

 

[The exile]

Shiny milk tanks certainly were a “thing” at some point around then - but I don’t think it ever came to anything.

 

[eastwestdivide]

From 1981 according to Paul Bartlett's excellent wagon photo site:

MMB Milk tanks - rebuilt 1980-81 TMV TRV

Unexpectedly the Milk Marketing Board introduced completely refurbished milk wagons in 1981. They selected 40 ex 6-wheel milk tanks & 26 ex 4-wheel class B tank wagon frames with barrels from earlier milk wagons and clad them in stainless steel. They were an emergency measure in case of problems...

paulbartlett.zenfolio.com

They spent some time at Chard Jn (?) where I photoed one in about 1983/4 I think.
They never did much.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Back around 1986ish I vaguely remember seeing a rake of blue tank wagons at Swindon. They were painted in an all over blue livery with either MMB or Milk Marketing Board on the side. I dont think they were six wheelers like the original ones and I cannot find any information regarding them. Did BR at this time ever consider re-introducing milk traffic again, or was this just a figment of my imagination?
The nearest image I could find that matches my memory is this Dapol model of the blue livery tank wagon with Milk Marketing Board and Milk on the side.
View attachment 184546

A few years later there was also....

The Milkliner was a short-lived trial of "piggyback" road trailer (silver articulated tank trailer) on dedicated flat wagons. The service ran for a few months in the mid 1990s.
I photographed the Penrith to Cricklewood working along the Midland Main Line - each time, only one tank trailer on it, and hauled by a pair of class 20/3 locos.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Trust me , BR explored options for "new" milk traffic in the late 1980's by talking to the then Milk Marketing Board - they had a very slight interest in milk from Templecombe to South London , we talked broady of using VTG bogie tank wagons for a 365 day operation. As they were very embedded by using large road tankers , this was only a fishing experience.

So the 6 wheelers - reduced to 35 mph max were shoved into store at Swindon , and apart from a couple which went to preseration , they were scrapped at (I think) Gloucester. The underframes were scrapped , the tanks themselves were sold onto various users for on site storage etc.

I was told there was no need forlong distance bulk milk traffic , as much was sourced locally to consuption area and best handled by aforementioned road tankers. Milk was often processed into milk powder , some of which moved by Freightliner in 30 ft boxes as bagged produce, much shipped to Europe.

We used to sail off Ferryside in South Wales in the 1970's , and I recall seeing from the estuary the up Whitland / Golden Grove milk - a train which over the years got shorter and shorter ......

 

[Gloster]

The seventy-one wagons that had been fitted with stainless steel tanks in the 1970s were refurbished after the end of regular traffic and sent to Chard Jct for storage. They were used on a number of trips to Stowmarket and, reportedly, later on some work between Swindon and West Wales, before being stored at Swindon and scrapped at the end of the decade.

Source: BR Parcels and Passenger-Rated Stock, Volume 2 (Larkin, Kestrel, 2015) and Milk on the Rails (Pinto, Wild Swan, 2024). Both very interesting books, although I have one or two quibbles.

 

[Ashley Hill]

From 1981 according to Paul Bartlett's excellent wagon photo site:

MMB Milk tanks - rebuilt 1980-81 TMV TRV

Unexpectedly the Milk Marketing Board introduced completely refurbished milk wagons in 1981. They selected 40 ex 6-wheel milk tanks & 26 ex 4-wheel class B tank wagon frames with barrels from earlier milk wagons and clad them in stainless steel. They were an emergency measure in case of problems...

paulbartlett.zenfolio.com

They spent some time at Chard Jn (?) where I photoed one in about 1983/4 I think.
They never did much.

Yes that’s the ones.
Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I worked in the Parcels and Milk Marketing section at Reginal HQ Paddington around 1980. My 'Milk' colleague had a sinecure compared to us parcels people and from memory had just the Lostwithiel and Felin Fach flows, but even this traffic was lost. It seemed very puzzling that, just as this traffic was about to disappear, the MMB was involved in the provision of new wagons. My memory (as has been suggested above) was that, although the MMB had moved the traffic to road they were uncertain about the effects of bad weather and wanted a backup - this was in the days when, regardless of weather, trains always made it through, unlike road. Remember also that, for milk tankers, the underframe was owned by the railway and the tank by the dairy/MMB and I'm pretty sure this applied to the new, blue, ones, so the MMB did have some costs against the project. I am pretty sure that the blue tankers never ran carrying milk.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I worked in the Parcels and Milk Marketing section at Reginal HQ Paddington around 1980. My 'Milk' colleague had a sinecure compared to us parcels people and from memory had just the Lostwithiel and Felin Fach flows, but even this traffic was lost. It seemed very puzzling that, just as this traffic was about to disappear, the MMB was involved in the provision of new wagons. My memory (as has been suggested above) was that, although the MMB had moved the traffic to road they were uncertain about the effects of bad weather and wanted a backup - this was in the days when, regardless of weather, trains always made it through, unlike road. Remember also that, for milk tankers, the underframe was owned by the railway and the tank by the dairy/MMB and I'm pretty sure this applied to the new, blue, ones, so the MMB did have some costs against the project. I am pretty sure that the blue tankers never ran carrying milk.

Yes, I remember the refurbished tanks parked at Lostwithiel and which never seemed to move - the creamery closed in 1991 anyway. St. Erth creamery closed in 1997 but rail traffic ceased a lot earlier.

 

[Gloster]

I worked in the Parcels and Milk Marketing section at Reginal HQ Paddington around 1980. My 'Milk' colleague had a sinecure compared to us parcels people and from memory had just the Lostwithiel and Felin Fach flows, but even this traffic was lost. It seemed very puzzling that, just as this traffic was about to disappear, the MMB was involved in the provision of new wagons. My memory (as has been suggested above) was that, although the MMB had moved the traffic to road they were uncertain about the effects of bad weather and wanted a backup - this was in the days when, regardless of weather, trains always made it through, unlike road. Remember also that, for milk tankers, the underframe was owned by the railway and the tank by the dairy/MMB and I'm pretty sure this applied to the new, blue, ones, so the MMB did have some costs against the project. I am pretty sure that the blue tankers never ran carrying milk.

Felin Fach closed in 1973: I think the last flow was St Erth, Lostwithiel and Totnes. My understanding is that the rebodied tanks were used on the few trains to Stowmarket and on the Swindon-West Wales workings, although I don’t think that there were many of these, possibly only an ‘experimental’ one or two.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

There was actually a "milk controller" at Paddington - not very highly graded , a sort of clerical post.

Anyway , someone who worked for me once , was proud of the fact he was the last one trained for this once valuable job.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Felin Fach closed in 1973: I think the last flow was St Erth, Lostwithiel and Totnes

I think Totnes ended about 1982. The tanks IIRC were either branded Unigate or St Ivel.

 

[Gloster]

I think Totnes ended about 1982. The tanks IIRC were either branded Unigate or St Ivel.

I am fairly sure that all regular milk traffic ended around Christmas 1979. Totnes was, I think, one of the last forwarding points. Remember, I was a signalman on the West of England main line from March 1980 and I am as good as certain that I never saw a milk train.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I am fairly sure that all regular milk traffic ended around Christmas 1979. Totnes was, I think, one of the last forwarding points. Remember, I was a signalman on the West of England main line from March 1980 and I am as good as certain that I never saw a milk train.

I did say about 1982 so not far off.

 

[Western 52]

I remember some silver milk tank wagons parked in the up sidings at Whitland, around 1983/84 I think.

 

[Gloster]

I remember some silver milk tank wagons parked in the up sidings at Whitland, around 1983/84 I think.

That may be related to the short-lived workings from Swindon.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Felin Fach closed in 1973: I think the last flow was St Erth, Lostwithiel and Totnes. My understanding is that the rebodied tanks were used on the few trains to Stowmarket and on the Swindon-West Wales workings, although I don’t think that there were many of these, possibly only an ‘experimental’ one or two.

Thanks for the correction.
Although it's 45 years ago, the sound of my colleague sitting opposite often saying 'Felin Fach' on the 'phone sticks in my mind. Perhaps there was a chance that the traffic might return - or, uncharitably, perhaps he was trying to give the impression of responsibility for an impressive empire

 

[Gloster]

Thanks for the correction.
Although it's 45 years ago, the sound of my colleague sitting opposite often saying 'Felin Fach' on the 'phone sticks in my mind. Perhaps there was a chance that the traffic might return - or, uncharitably, perhaps he was trying to give the impression of responsibility for an impressive empire

Well, he must have been an optimist: the line was lifted by the beginning of 1976.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Well, he must have been an optimist: the line was lifted by the beginning of 1976.

That does rather remove any doubt! -v although, in the mid sixties railtour craze, there were ones that advertised routing that, as a letter in Trains Illustrated memorably stated, 'would require participants to be wearing stout walking boots'.

 

[6Gman]

That does rather remove any doubt! -v although, in the mid sixties railtour craze, there were ones that advertised routing that, as a letter in Trains Illustrated memorably stated, 'would require participants to be wearing stout walking boots'.

In the late 90s it was not unknown for Railtrack to ask for weedkiller trains to visit branches that had been lifted.