Dapol 4F-031-009

6 Wheel Milk Tank Express Dairy

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

In the nineteenth century, milk was supplied to urban areas mainly by cows kept in urban herds even in the largest metropolitan areas such as London. These cows were kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions and in 1865 a cow plague swept London resulting in the extermination of all urban herds. Express Dairies grew from this moment on and was instrumental in bringing in milk from the country into the towns and cities.

The founder and chairman of Express Dairies, George Barham invented the milk churn which was the principal way of transporting milk until the 1930s at which time the growing demand and the advancement of sheet metal rolling techniques lead to the development of cylindrical bulk handling milk tanks. The first milk tanks had four wheels, but were found to be unstable at speed. However, a six wheel derivative was found to be very suitable and most of the earlier milk tankers were eventually converted.

Catalogue listing

Brand
Dapol
Product Code
4F-031-009
GTIN
5016927004606
RRP
£17.87
Release date
March 2023

Model details

Height
48mm
Width
33mm
Finish
Pristine
Coupling
NEM / Tension lock
Livery
Express Dairy
Minimum radius curve
Radius 1
Gauge
OO
Tooling date
2005
Scale
OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)
Minimum radius
Radius 1
Coupling type
Tension lock
Coupling mount
NEM pockets
Chassis construction
Lightweight

Prototype information

Builder
Various
(Tanks owned by dairies & chassis by railway companies)
Wheel configuration
6-wheel
Type of vehicle
Tank Wagon
Operated by
Great Western Railway
London Midland & Scottish Railway
London & North Eastern Railway
Southern Railway
British Railways
Main duties
Milk Transport
In service until
1960s/ 1970s
Build dates
1932 to 1948
Wheel arrangement
6-wheel
Built
1932 to 1948
Built by
Various (Tanks owned by dairies & chassis by railway companies)

Supplier Links

Dapol website


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The Dapol Express Dairy 6 Wheel Milk Tanker model is a representation of a milk tanker used by Express Dairies during the British Railways Early Crest period. The model is available in OO gauge and features a 6-wheel arrangement, with a length of 94mm, width of 33mm, and height of 48mm. The minimum radius curve required for operation is 1.

The model is built in a Pristine finish and features an accurate representation of the Express Dairy livery. It is equipped with NEM/Tension lock couplings, allowing for smooth and reliable operation on any OO gauge layout. The model's wheels are profiled for added realism, and the body is highly detailed with separately added ladders and rails.

The Dapol Express Dairy 6 Wheel Milk Tanker model is a highly detailed representation of a milk tanker from the early days of the British Railways era. The model is built with a focus on accuracy and realism, making it a great addition to any OO gauge layout.

The history of Express Dairies is an interesting one, dating back to the nineteenth century when the company was instrumental in bringing milk from the countryside into urban areas following the extermination of all urban herds in London in 1865. The company's founder, George Barham, invented the milk churn, which was the primary means of transporting milk until the development of bulk handling milk tanks in the 1930s.

The six wheel milk tankers were a significant improvement over their four wheel predecessors, which were found to be unstable at speed. The Dapol model is a representation of one of these six wheel milk tankers, which were a common sight on British railways during the early days of British Railways.

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