Spectacular! Milk for London. A History of Milk Trains in the UK (2020)

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

0:00 Main history and GWR days 9:14 Southern days 17:36 BR Southern Region 26:44 BR Western Region

[@josecordoba5621]

These types of videos you produce are my favorite. Educational, historical, informative and entertaining. Ticks all my boxes.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

I am in your debt, what a lovely thing to say

[@mick9885]

Morning Mike, Great Video again, Nice that you do the research on what happened back in the day, Thanks for sharing 👍

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Mick, very many thanks for that, all the best

[@bigfella1952]

A very interesting informative video. Some great varied running shots highlighting the history of milk tankers. Love the shunting sequences, makes a refreshing change from trains just passing by. Well done ,, x The Bigfella x

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Many thanks indeed, I love these social history videos I must say.

[@sadiegodiva]

Awesome video. Well filmed. Well narrated. Very inspiring.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Sadie, thank you so much for the lovely comment. Mike

[@theangelsmodellingandrailways]

A really interesting upload, and some really nice locos and rolling stock. Thanks for sharing.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks very much, so glad you enjoyed it

[@terryblackman6217]

Thank you for a most enjoyable and informative video. Always looking forward to seeing your next shows.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Terry, that is so kind of you to say.

[@wyvernmodelrailway]

Really enjoyed your film. Lots of interest and information. Thankyou

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

So nice of you to say thanks

[@leilacentral1883]

Milk trains are something I would like to model at some point so this video was well timed. Very interesting. The wooden churns really was interesting. A great and enjoyable video. Clint

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Clint

[@alanswallow9033]

Good to see freight movements complete with the history of them, nice!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Alan, very kind of you and I agree fully, that's a set for me now as I have done open wagons and petroleum tank wagons in history as well

[@stevem9754]

Really like how you give the historical and social perspective of the various wagons you feature in your wagons videos.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Many thanks Steve, yes that has been my intention with these videos. I find it fascinating and hope others do as well :)

[@MrKlf1956]

Very interesting and enjoyable video Mike. Many thanks for taking the time to make it. All the best, Kevin

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed it Kevin, all the best

[@jkirk888]

Exceptional. As always. Thank you.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

So kind to say, thanks very much

[@gordonmcillroy455]

A very interesting video. Some historical background and commentary and some trains running. For me it was worth all your hard work. Thank you.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Awesome! Thank you! Makes it all worthwhile :)

[@maxheadroom7687]

Great video Mike, got myself some dapol milk tank wagons to make up a train, only thing I’ve found is they are very light and tend to derail easily on our large club layout!🥴 thanks for making this video mate, really informative and inspirational! Used to go to Clapham Junction, Vauxhall and Charing cross and Kensington in my youth, as had grandparents living at Clapham common, and Chelsea at the time. lovely to hear the places mentioned again. Hope you are still going to make videos?🇦🇺😎👍Stephen.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Many, many thanks Stephen, with the Dapol tanks try replacing the outer wheels with Hornby ones, leave the middle one as is, you should find they become very stable. I am still going to be making videos, some special work bench projects await me and a new railway or amended old one will come along soon

[@maxheadroom7687]

Model Railways Unlimited thanks for the tip Mike, glad you are going to make more videos!👍

[@andrewjditton]

Wow, the amount of time that must have taken you to research, plan, shoot, and edit, must have been phenomenal Mike! Much appreciated and very interesting, thank you. I love the way the story brings the layout to life, and the layout brings the story to life! Wondering what is next if the layout is now packed away? Cheers!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Andrew, very many thanks for the kind comment, indeed a huge undertaking but well worth it judging by the comments. As to what is next I am not sure, but have some interesting work bench videos planned.

[@eddiestuart3898]

Superb - really interesting. Having your models running demo trains just made it!!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Eddie, thanks so much for the wonderful comment

[@garysmith1687]

Always a good story and very much enjoyed. An inspiration for my own ventures and modelling aspirations. Sad to hear it is being packed away - still much nostalgia in your movie vault! Best wishes Gary.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Gary, thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a nice comment! The layout may come back in some form around the end of the year

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

WOW top performing video so far, thanks everyone

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

That was absolutely brilliant, always wondered how many full tanks a train would pull to London and return back with. I had the Express dairy creamery and milk plant at Acton behind the back of our home and was always fascinated watching the tanks being moved about. Wish I had taken more interest and photos at the time. Will incorporate this information into my layout when it's finally built. Regards Chris

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Chris, many thanks indeed, glad it helped. I am in the process of sorting a new layout as well

[@charliecroker7380]

Thanks, that was really interesting.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Very welcome thanks

[@davldcooksey4137]

Great video very interesting, and brings back some memories, well done 👍👍👍👍.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed it! Many thanks indeed

[@Alan.at.coombecross]

Great video! Entertaining and informative. Well done! Regards Alan

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Alan, thanks so much

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi Mike - Chris at Bognor Regis tipped me off re your channel and this has given me the information I wanted re SOuthern Region milk deliveries. I didnt realise that churs were still being transported by rail into the 70s. Also very handy to know the milk wagons would be added to passenger trains . I have subbed and dinged the bell and will catch up on past videos. Stay Safe Kev

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Awesome, thank you! And good man Chris. Yes indeed churns were, I recall while on holiday in Devon them being collected and this must have been 1976. Thanks for the sub. Mike

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

It’s been a very helpful video and I think there will be a large Kent creamery that can be supplied by non SR locos 😀😀 Now to increase my stock of milk wagons . And thanks for the sub too Cheers Kev

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@medwaypeninsulaMR Cool, will look forward to seeing that

[@Charmaster04]

Great video! I saw your video on Bullied Pacifics pulling goods trains during the BR period, and became intrigued by tanker trains after seeing an unrebuilt West Country pulling one in that video. I will probably be getting some Dapol tankers that I saw on (American) eBay for about $14 and $4 shipping each (Hopefully I can give them the extra Bachmann wheels I already have instead of ordering Hornby ones), and although I did some surface level research on milk tankers, I have learned a lot about them from this video. The scope of milk train operations is definitely an appeal, but I would personally pick some point during or shortly after World War II so I could run them with my Q1 and with any Bullied Pacifics I might get some day, as well as with my dad's Great Western Small Prairie and Pannier. (Funny, I thought the Q1's struggle with stopping trains as quickly as other engines would prove problematic for milk trains after what you said in the Bullied Pacific video, but it looks like I could use mine with milk tankers after all.)

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

I'm so glad to have inspired and helped. Good period to choose that. Yes Q1s would be fine as the train is fully fitted anyway :)

[@lorrainecohen1649]

Very interesting thank you for that Lorraine

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Very welcome thanks Lorraine

[@donsharpe5786]

Express sites were at Ruislip and Morden while Unigate were mainly at Vauxhall.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Yep that is what I understood

[@donsharpe5786]

The Torrington train started there, picked up from Lapford, Crediton, maybe Exeter before going to the milk centre at Seaton Junction. It then went forward to Chard Junction, did it pick up from Yeovil Junction? then went on to Templecombe for the S & D.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Yes, nice to get the SDR in there, you will see I included a ref to it :)

[@expressdairytales]

If you found this video interesting, you might also be interested in the history of Express Dairy from the 1860's onwards, which you can explore on our website.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi thanks, I made the video and I'll be sure to check out the web site

[@Blairgowrie_Forest_Railway]

Thanks for your research. I love your videos

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks very much indeed 😊

[@keith800]

Lovely video , so informative and imaginative .

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hello again Keith. Glad you enjoyed it

[@blitzbob2000]

The night westland milk train was normally hauled by a 47xx night owl. Nice film.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Bob many thanks, oh that's great to hear, I don't have a model as the Heljan one had issues

[@blitzbob2000]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited hi I must admit we've had a 47 running on extor junction since they came out with no problems. There was a wonderful series of books by Harrold Gasson ex Didcot firem. Where he mentions walking through the subway in the early hours with the sound of the westland milk with a 47 going over head. How they had a unique sound.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@blitzbob2000 Hmm sounds lovely, don't tempt me lol

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

If modelling a milk tank loading facility please remember that these tanks are loaded from below as milk froths up badly when poured in from above.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi, thanks. The tanks were loaded from about using industrial rubber hoses. However they were indeed unloaded at the bottom again with hoses, there are photos showing the pipes laying across the platform at Vauxhall, imagine health and safety having a melt down lol. Perhaps you've seen the unload process 🤔

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited no the loading process, as I said milk when poured tends to froth up a lot. Putting long hoses into the tanks runs the risk of contamination.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

There's been some significant discussion about this. It would seem that initially the older tanks were loaded from the top but health concerns caused a change. When pumps with sufficient power were available then like you say the tanks were loaded from the same valve at the bottom. However tanks were washed out and steam cleaned from above so that's something modellers may wish to show.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited suitably powerful pumps existences long before the milk tank car. They were available for fire engines with petrol engines before WW1 and steam powered for long before that. So pump availability was never the issue. I hope they also cleaned the loading hoses as thoroughly between loAding each tank.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 coal is black 🖤

[@Christophoross]

Excellent video and narration Mike. I hope you get a chance to do a sequel featuring LNER and LMS milk traffic movement. From the little reading I have done it seems the LMS route to the Express Daries depot in Hendon London was one of the longest in the country. I for one wouldlike to see that on your layout. Keep up the good work.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Chris, so glad you enjoyed. This is a brilliant comment because it will inspire me to look into the subject

[@Christophoross]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited I look forward to your findings. Great channel I've enjoyed watching more of your videos today.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@Christophoross Thanks Chris, glad you are enjoying the others

[@andrewguttry6886]

That was most informative, thank you. I've tried researching tanker liveries for the mid-1950s with no luck. Would you know what, if any, liveries were carried then? As an aside I lived in Putney as a lad in the 1960s, went to school on Battersea Rise (conveniently situated in the 'v' dividing the Brighton and South Western lines and perfect for spotting during breaks!), and spent most of my trainspotting time at Clapham junction. My train home from school to Putney would arrive at the platform adjacent to that where I recall milk trains standing, usually in charge of a Q1. That would have been 1964-65. I now live in Exeter.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Andrew, what a lovely reply, Most of the liveries featured would work for the 1950s The external condition of the tanks soon became really grotty so the weathered ones would be accurate, however silver tanks were there to. There are some helpful images here www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107038-midland-region-milk-trains/

[@andrewguttry6886]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited Thank you very much.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

No problem, let me know how you get on?

[@bianchikat]

thanks again that was so interesting always good to be reminded of the importance of getting the milk to the capital! I wondered if changes were afoot for your layout...

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks very much, yes sadly changes here required it to be packed away, however I have plans :) and I'll be doing more work bench stuff starting with a really interesting project!

[@charleswalsh9895]

Great video thanks

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JohnPW22]

Wonderful video! Locos nd wagons doing what they are supposed to, representing trains that actually ran somewhere! I'm modelling the WR Newquay Branch and was wondering if you have heard whether any milk traffic traversed the branch? I can't find any info myself on this. It seems likely in GWR era, but later would have died out. Great variety of milk tankers and locos!!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi John, thank you very much indeed! I would say without doubt there would have been milk traffic, be that a couple of tank wagons per day or a syphon loaded with churns. I feel this would have been the case into BR days as well. Would love to see your model?

[@Karhedronuk]

There may have been ad-hoc churns on the Newquay branch but there were no rail-served dairies so no major milk traffic and no milk tanks.

[@andrewrice6596]

Very interesting video.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Andrew

[@timstrainvideos142]

excellent video!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thank you very much! I've also done one for petroleum tank wagons and open wagons

[@IronHorseRailways]

As always mate very good! Shows you don't need a huge layout to make good videos and have operational interest. Just some back scenes, clever camera angles and a bit of creative license goes a long way!

[@IronHorseRailways]

Also, if you haven't done so already I would very much like to see a video similar to this but focused on the Deltic. Not nessesairy to make it half an hour long but something about their history and use would be excellent!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi thanks so much and I fully agree

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

What a great idea! I will put that on the planner when I get a railway back

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Hi Mike - Sorry to be a pain but the Dapol N gauge 6 wheel Express Dairy wagon in silver , number 2F-031-017. Would it be correct to mix them with the Dapol blue Express Dairy wagons that have now been discontinued. Regards Chris

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Chris, The blue livery was the older, I imagine you could mix them, the silver ones soon became brown like the blue ones lol

[@Celtic2Realms]

Very interesting thanks

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@trainsontuesday]

I don't ever recall seeing milk wagons growing up and I have shied away from them in my modeling. After this I may change my thinking. Once again Mike you have thrilled me with the history and demonstrated it incredibly well on your little layout. Do you have plans for a larger one? Regards, David.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi David, so glad you enjoyed it, I think most areas had some kind of milk traffic so it would be an idea for you. I do indeed have plans :)

[@Shauniboy1984]

Mike fantastic detail as ever, I think you missed a trick by not using Herman's Hermits as the backing music to this...

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Lol many thanks. Oh there is loads of times I want to use tracks but can't due copyright

[@hamshackleton]

Layout packed away - - Are you moving house?

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

No mate, got a new puppy which is not compatible and having room decorated soon, hope to be back in action later in the year

[@hamshackleton]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited - ah, better than a cat! Missy does like sleeping ON the railway, and I spend ages removing all the surplus fur, before I can play!

[@garagewindowrailway]

Mike, is your 1361 the Kernow or Heljan model? As an odd / eccentric GWR locomotive, my Kernow mode., is one of my favourite shunter.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi, it's a Kernow one 😊

[@garagewindowrailway]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited at Yeovil Pen Mill, the morning milk syphon were loaded in a bay platform. This sometimes gave rise to an Up GWR 4-6-0 detaching from its train, shunting, collecting the syphon, then shunting it back onto the up train before departing.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Great operational info thanks

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Hi Mike, sorry to be a pain but Dapol have discontinued their N Gauge six wheel Express Dairy wagon in blue. Next to South Acton station was a major creamery and milk bottling plant for Express Dairies, which was served by milk trains from both the Great Western Railway and the Southern Railway which our flat overlooked. I intend to build a replica with long sidings so am I correct in saying I roughly need 14 for a delivery and approx 30 empty ones to run on my layout? I realise I can mix it with some silver Express Dairy ones. Also you mention a syphon wagon, please explain as there appear to be none advertised either by Peco, Graham Farish or Dapol. Apologies for the ignorance but I am now getting into rolling stock which I know very little of. Era is early to late BR. Regards Chris

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Chris, yes they came up loaded with no more than 14 (usually 10) but could return on mass with many more. Hang on while I look to answer your other question.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Chris click on 2:42 in my video, you will see the brown GW Siphon there. At 3:57 you can see two of them behind the Dean Single.

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Lovely Mike, thankyou. Seems the only way to get a siphon wagon is on ebay as no one makes them any more. Regards Chris

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Sorry Mike, would a siphon wagon have been attached to my Express Dairy rake as I dont recall milk churns being delivered to the dairy at South Acton, but I might be mistaken. Regards Chris

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@Chris-BognorRegis Hi Chris, I doubt it to be honest, they were very much a GW thing, but certainly were still around in BR (w) days

[@railfan1762]

Watched this 8 times this is 9

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Wow, I am most grateful for the support

[@donsharpe5786]

Bailey gate received whey tankers from mid to west wales.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Interesting thanks

[@trebormints3739]

When I was young 'the "milco" would come into our station at 7pm and would back into a siding With part of the train still on the platform ,if the engine had not reached the end of the platform' the driver would let us cab the engine . Last of the warship class and himech. If we were lucky a western Imagine health and safety allowing that now

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi and thanks for that lovely slice of history

[@donsharpe5786]

Don't blame Margaret Thatcher but the EEC who wanted competition and said the Milk Marketing Board was anti competitive.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Oh I am afraid I blame that political vandal for many things