GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Grouping Period Rolling Stock: gwrbsh3064

Great Western Railway fifty foot long bogie Milk Van (telegraphic code Siphon G) No 1191 built in October 1928 to diagram O22 is seen at Birmingham Snow Hill in July 1947. See 'gwrbsh3063' for details of diagram O22 milk vans.

The fifty foot long Siphon G milk van could carry loads up to fourteen tons and were built to several different diagrams. The diagram O22 milk vans were built with internal bracing and horizontal planking giving a flush external look, but like their diagram O11 processors they had four double doors on each side, narrow louvres extended along the top of each side and a three arc roof. They had gangway connectors, electrical lighting, through steam pipes, vacuum brakes, screw couplings and oval coach buffers. Most had seven foot wheelbase heavy bogies as seen in this photograph. They were classified as non-passenger coach ‘brown’ stock and given an all-over brown with yellow ochre lettering livery. The large ‘G’ and ‘W’ on the side panels was replaced in 1934 with a centrally placed GWR totem emblem. In common with regular coach stock lamp irons were provided on the ends. Details of the diagram O22 milk vans are given in the following table:

This photograph is displayed courtesy of the HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society) and copies can be ordered directly from them using the link HERE, quoting 'AEL203' (Photographer P Garland).

Robert Ferris

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