British Railway Road Vehicles 1948-1968

Following the nationalisation of Britain's railway network on 1st January 1948, one of the major areas of competition facing the Railway Executive was the fast growing number of privately owned road haulage vehicles. As part of the first post-war Labour government's strategy for an integrated national transport system, British Railways were strongly encouraged to expand the road delivery services operated by its constituent companies, the LMS, GWR, LNER and the Southern Railway. British Railway's road delivery fleet is perhaps best remembered by the three-wheel Scammell mechanical horses, but the railway motor vehicle fleet was both diverse and extensive. The authors examine the varied vehicle types and their operations including wagon-load traffic and Express Parcels Services.