Dapol A021

Milk Tank Unpainted

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

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

In the 19th 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
A021
GTIN
5016927265656
RRP
£13.70
Release date
July 2023

Model details

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

Prototype information

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

Supplier Links

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Related products

Dapol Milk Tank Unpainted is a OO‑scale model representing a six‑wheel milk tanker used between 1932 and 1948. The model is supplied in an unpainted livery with a pristine finish and measures 94 mm in length, 33 mm in width and 48 mm in height. It can negotiate a minimum radius of curve 1 and is fitted with NEM / tension‑lock couplings. The model carries the manufacturer part number A021 and depicts a vehicle from the period of the Big Four railway companies (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR).

The historical background of the type relates to the development of bulk milk transport in the United Kingdom. After an 1865 cow plague eradicated urban herds, Express Dairies began importing milk from rural farms. Founder George Barham’s invention of the milk churn was the principal method of transport until the early 1930s, when advances in sheet‑metal rolling led to cylindrical bulk milk tanks. Early four‑wheel tanks proved unstable at speed, prompting the adoption of a more stable six‑wheel configuration, which became the standard for most milk tankers of the era.

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