Trev52A Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.) I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else? Many thanks in advance Trevor 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 It's a GWR Siphon. Have a look here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_Siphon Incidentally Accurascale have recently introduced a superb 00 model of it in various liveries seen here on Danemouth Dave 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cwmtwrch Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Commonly called a Siphon [the GWR code for it was Siphon G]. Siphons were designed for carrying milk churns and general parcels traffic; milk churns ceased to be used in the late 30s by and large, so thereafter Siphons were parcels stock, seen anywhere in Britain in BR days. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 43 minutes ago, Trev52A said: Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.) I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else? Many thanks in advance Trevor https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/from-milk-to-the-mail-the-history-of-the-siphon-g 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 51 minutes ago, Trev52A said: ... in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W ... Lasted another twelve years in traffic - 'til May '78 ! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev52A Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 1 hour ago, Danemouth said: It's a GWR Siphon. Have a look here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_Siphon Incidentally Accurascale have recently introduced a superb 00 model of it in various liveries seen here on Danemouth Dave Thanks for this, Dave. Incidentally, I have often wondered why the word 'siphon' - now I know! Cheers Trevor 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev52A Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 31 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said: https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/from-milk-to-the-mail-the-history-of-the-siphon-g Fascinating stuff, Paul. Many thanks for the link. Trevor 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 3 hours ago, Trev52A said: Like many spotters/photographers in the steam era my main attraction was the locos themselves, and it is only many years later that items which were unnoticed at the time a picture was taken now seem worthy of a second look. This an enlargement of the edge of a picture I took at Carlisle of the station pilot, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41222, in May 1966. The vehicle has the running number W2937W and a search online informs me that this was a 1944-built Collett-design of gangwayed milk van. (Please correct me if I have that wrong.) I am no expert on rolling stock, so my question is: in 1966 was it still used for milk traffic (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) or had the vehicle been rebuilt internally to do something else? Many thanks in advance Trevor Back on the WR by July 1968 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrsiphon/e615a598e Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
osbornsmodels Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) Can't imagine but looking at the buffer height it was probably empty! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev52A Posted October 20, 2023 Author Share Posted October 20, 2023 9 hours ago, osbornsmodels said: (and if so, where to/from in Carlisle?) Can't imagine but looking at the buffer height it was probably empty! Well-spotted! Trevor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted October 21, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2023 Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated. Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations to collect their bundles. The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day. They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends. The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 9 hours ago, The Johnster said: Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated. Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations to collect their bundles. The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day. They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends. The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery. As well as newspapers, Siphons saw use in carrying fresh fruit and flowers. The fold-down shelves were useful for this. The flower traffic lasted into the 1970s. Many survived in to the early198s; some even gained ETH plugs and sockets. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 21, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2023 10 hours ago, The Johnster said: Siphon Gs like this one were also used for newspaper sorting, being gangwayed so that the sorters could use the toilets in the passenger section of the train, and steam heated. Like many NPCCS vehicles, they had fold-down shelves held by chains which could be used as sorting tables, and the sorters, casual workers mostly, made the newspapers up into bundles to order for newsagents along the route, who would meet the train at stations to collect their bundles. The workers went home on the cushions and the Siphons were returned to Old Oak in parcels trains during the day. They were replaced on this work by GUVs modified to contain toilet compartments and with the end doors removed and replaced with gangwayed ends. The Siphons survived long enough to carry blue livery. The newspapers packers (they were not 'sorters') were regular employed staff who worked for the wholesale newsagents. In most cases they travelled up to London passenger, often in regularly reserved seats and then did their work on the way back home on the various paper trains making up bundles, for wholesalers but mainly for individual newsagents, on behalf of their wholesale employer. In that respect they were simply another part of the vast overnight workforce that produced and distributed newspapers. On some trains particular vans were regularly booked to certain wholesaler the best example being the 03.25 Pasddington - Oxford which had a gangwayed SG for Smith & sons packers for Oxford, a gangwayed SG for Mallet's packers for Oxford, a non-ganwayed SG for John Menziues packers for Didcoy and 2 Xnon[gangwayed SGs Smith & Sins and Pettys; packers for Reading. There was another gangwayed SG for Oxford which wasn't pre-allocated. The train detached 4 vehicles rear at Reading including the two News SGs, anda the other non-gamwayed SG was detached off therear at Didcot leavinga BG on the rear for the rest of the trip to Oxford. In front of the gangwaued SGs there was a PMV, a GUV and a BSK - the later providing the toilet facility plus it was used by traincrew travelling home from paddington although it was nota booked service for their us At ine stage in the late '60s/ear;y '70s News from Paddington was carried in other vehciles, including GUVs and BGs but they did not carry packers and the packing was done at destination. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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