Livery British Railway Milk Tank Wagon

preserved detail on typical pre-world war ii united dairies three-axle milk tank wagon @ national railway museum, based on sr chassis



preserved milk marketing board three-axle milk tank wagon @ east somerset railway, based on gwr chassis

each railway company applied own logo , number chassis, while each dairy applied own separate colouring, fleet number , labelling carried milk tank.

the wagons out-shopped various railway works highly decorated - show both cleanliness, hygiene, , travelling advertising board. designs had high amount of labelling, mentioning insulation, hygienic glass lining, , dairy company name in large superscript , shadowed letters on sides of tank. resultant wagons kept clean both dairies (who washed them @ both ends of journey), , handling railway companies.

after milk marketing board created in 1933, in 1942 during world war ii took control of milk transport. when wagons needed repaint, did mmb apply standard branded design of silver-grey mmb milk embossed in 4 feet (1.2 m) high black letters externally. of last mmb designs used blue tank colour white lettering. hence, many of former private owner wagons designs survived british railways ownership, in faded , flaking state. mmb not fastidious on cleanliness standards, , in photographs either cleaned silver paint has faded white, or wagons dirty.

by late 1960s mmb had switched entirely road haulage, , express dairies , unigate continued use rail transport. both companies used former mmb stock supplied british railways, while express dairies applied own numbering tank, unigate referenced wagons through br chassis number. unhappy image of faded , dirty liveries, unigate applied st ivel-style painting of wagons, 50/50 split top/bottom of white top , orange bottom tank, , blue st ivel logo 1 end. chassis, ladder , end support frames black white lettering.