In the days when the majority of freight traffic in the U.K. was transported by rail instead of dangerously cluttering our roads, a casual observer of the extensive goods yard at Marylebone was invited to see that the ideal of the G.C.R. was “A truck for everything and everything in its truck” (1).

Of such specialist vehicles, the 15-ton large-capacity bogie fish vans of 1903 were introduced to transport the annually increasing fish traffic from Grimsby, on the eastern extremes of the G.C. system to the rest of the U.K. The 'Special Fish' trains to London were the first to use the new bogie fish vans and were timed at express passenger speeds. The vans were also fitted with automatic vacuum braking enabling their use in conjunction with passenger stock (i.e., the afternoon express from Cleethorpes to Leicester, etc.). It is with little doubt that this made for an interesting trip on hot days for those passengers with sensitive noses! As an indication of the progress of the London-bound 'Special Fish', the first London train left Grimsby Docks at 5.30pm to arrive at Marylebone Goods at 12.30am. At 3.00pm the entire trainload of fish was on its way to Billingsgate Market via horse-drawn carts (2).

Photo above is one of several publicity images created by the G.C.R. taken from Yew Tree Road bridge on the Fallowfield line. Inset picture: unloading fish at Grimsby Dock.

Vital statistics:

Length: 45' over headstocks. Width: 7' 8" over pillars. Height: 7' 2" at the centre line. Wheels: 3' 1.5" dia. Bogies: 31' 6" between centres.

External features:

Body: oak scantling with upper half formed of ventilating louvres end louvres hooded. Sliding doors: two on each side with openings of 4' 11" by 6'. Underframe: steel channeled carried on bogies and with screw couplings. Braking: twin screw hand-brakes and vacuum brakes.

Internal features:

Lining: 1" tongue and groove board to height of louvres which were themselves lined with perforated zinc sheet. Floor: marble cement covering tapering towards centre of body to trap fish oil in a central channel, avoiding its deposit on running rails.

The first 17 examples were built by Birmingham Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. at a cost of £495 each and the fleet was then enlarged with further Gorton-built examples (3).

Models

Although none of these vehicles have survived into restoration, reproductions in at least 4mm scale are possible!

This brass etched kit with whitemetal detail castings is available through Brassmasters in the U.K. who also stock other G.C. rolling stock kits. Picture illustrates the bogie fish vans as they appeared in L.N.E.R. livery (1923 - 1948). G.C.R. livery was also brown but with yellow lettering.

References:

(1) G.C.R., 1913. Per Rail p. 36.
(2) Jackson, D., 1996. J.G. Robinson - A Lifetime's Work, p. 61.
(3) Dow, G., 1965. Great Central Vol. 3, pp. 147 - 148.