Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

Hi Rana.

Yes, I do remember it. If you google Class 37 police it's on youtube. And yes, you are right. The paint was supposed to be washed off afterwards, but they used the wrong stuff! The attached is a photo of the real loco taken passing through York Station.

Couple of little things I got for my birthday - finally a bogie bolster (c) for carrying my home-made pipe loads (see the 'What's on your workbench?' thread, page 86), some cows, fences, a second TARDIS...I mean Police Box... for the new layout and also a fancy shiny Oxford Rail tanker wagon. Has anyone got any idea why it says BP on one side and Shell on the other? Is this prototypical or is it for versatility with the model? I don't mind either way, it's a beautiful wagon!

@ GWR & LNER fan 4472

"Oxford Rail tanker wagon. Has anyone got any idea why it says BP on one side and Shell on the other? Is this prototypical or is it for versatility with the model?"

The two photo's below show wagon number 4497 built in 1930, (photographed in 2005 at the Bluebell Railway), with BP on one side, (faded behind the ladder), and SHELL on the other. The drawing is I think self explanatory. Hope this helps.

That's great Potterton, thank you! I'm presuming both fuel companies use the same product then? Or at least buy it in the same and perhaps alter it themselves later? I'll do some digging.

Anyway, superb model, would highly recommend :-)

EDIT: Found this on Wikipedia:

"In 1932, partly in response to the difficult economic conditions of the times, Shell-Mex merged its UK marketing operations with those of British Petroleum to create Shell-Mex and BP,^[40] a company that traded until the brands separated in 1975."

So it seems likely Shell and BP shared trainloads of fuel. Makes sense now, thanks!

Latest arrival to my stud, a Lima Class 101 DMU. Runs like a dream. Needed on my layout to run workers to and from an "off scene" oil terminal. yum

Tri-ang did a version of the Shell/BP tank wagon using their basic tank model (the UD version without the ladders). Unfortunately they used transfers which don’t last very well. I have had a few of them over the years from multi buys but only one in good condition which is in its original box and probably wasn’t used much.

Here is the real United Dairies for comparison. I doubt that the fuel tankers would be lined.

Potterton, do you remember the advert the prototype was used in? I read at the time that it was supposed to be washable paint but when they took it to clean it off it stuck fast so the loco went round like that for a while.

Bachmann and Heljan also did a Class 47 in police livery. Also done in real life.

The HST vs Police 37 advert and both locos are easily found on Google and YT by searching police livery locos.

"Bachmann and Heljan also did a Class 47 in police livery. Also done in real life."

Quite right 96RAF. The real one was a Virgin Trains' Class 47 number 47829 unveiled on 25th March 2002. It carried the crest of the British Transport Police and was "launched" by the then BTP Chief Constable Ian Johnston at Birmingham International Station to promote an anti-vandalism and trespass campaign.

"Bachmann and Heljan also did a Class 47 in police livery. Also done in real life."

Quite right 96RAF. The real one was a Virgin Trains' Class 47 number 47829 unveiled on 25th March 2002. It carried the crest of the British Transport Police and was "launched" by the then BTP Chief Constable Ian Johnston at Birmingham International Station to promote an anti-vandalism and trespass campaign.

Mine of course is an RAF Police 37 (a real never was loco), complete with blues and twos. Named The 96th Entry.