[Chirkwood]

I quite fancy buying Dapol's 6 wheel Glass Lined Milk Tanker " United Dairies" but am not sure what time scale they ran with this livery and also what part of network would they appear? I'm modelling early sixties Steam Western Region
I'm sure some of you guys can help me out
Thanks in advance

 

[Gary]

I'm not an expert in wagons but having spoken to a Western Region/GWR expert the claim is that freight rolling stock ran all over the country and there was a lot of cross region movement and that if you want this wagon on your Western Region layout you could get away with it. I believe regular milk tank wagons went up to London each day from the West Country and they had to go overnight at constant speed as if the trains stopped and started the milk would turn into cheese!

So you may need to turn the lights off unless you are running empty.

In fact I am positive that this question has been asked before here by one of our Australian friends.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[John Webb]

The previous discussion was in 'Mooving Milk' in the Station Concourse forum way back in 2005 - Mooving milk

Try the search engine as well - this will pick up quite a few references to 'milk tank'.

The trains were run at speed, I understand, to ensure the milk got quickly to the dairies in the big towns/cities before it warmed up too much and went off. Milk was chilled before being loaded into the tanks, but they were not actually refrigerated themselves, so any delay in delivery was avoided if at all possible.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[dukedog]

It was also quite common for milk tanks to be attached to Express passenger workings too!
Regards
Frank