7mm How were GWR MICA refrigerated vans used?

[geoff_nicholls]

I'm sorry if this is a question with an obvious answer, but I usually model pre 1850s in gauge 3, so have no knowledge of such matters.
As some of you may be aware, my club, Ilford and West Essex MRC, has inherited a 7mm scale GWR BLT Bovey Manor, from our club president Don Neighbour. We are sprucing this layout up to have it ready for our club's Summer Sunday Open Days, and possible future exhibitions.
So, we're trying to build an operating timetable for this.
The layout includes three really nicely built MICA refrigerated vans that we'd like to use, but we've no idea how the GWR and later BR used them. Would they carry deliveries for local butchers, which would be unloaded in the station goods shed. And would each van be carrying one consignment, or could it make several stops? And wouldn't that cause problems for the refrigeration?

 

[simond]

As far as I’m aware, these vans were primarily used in block trains to carry meat to London. I’m slowly collecting / building Micas to get something of a representation of “The Meat” which left Birkenhead abattoir weekdays at 15:35 to Acton, where it was split and ran in smaller portions, 25 wagons max, to Smithfield. There were special short, fitted, brake vans for this run, as it shared lines with the underground, and had to run to electric timetables.

The cattle came into Birkenhead docks/ lairage on the hoof from Ireland and the USA, I believe. There was a tannery just along the river. I recall in my undergrad days in Cammell Laird, just how awful it smelt. The trade ceased when the Irish worked out that selling chilled prepared meat was much more profitable than shipping live animals, probably in the 70’s but I‘m not sure of the exact date.

Refrigeration was by dry ice, dropped in via roof hatches. I think they stopped that quite early. Some vans were converted to “TEVAN” to handle bulk tea.

I’d be very happy with a 20 wagon train, I suspect the prototype Meat was probably 50, maybe more. Typical power would be a Hall or a 47xx.

I‘m not aware of these vans being used to deliver to local butchers, though it’s possible, if unlikely, I guess. Quite how they’d sell 12 tons of meat is anyone’s guess!

hth
Simon

 

[hrmspaul]

Some vans were converted to “TEVAN” to handle bulk tea.

hth
Simon

The Tevans (or some at least) for the vast trade from Greenford/Hammersmith/Park Royal for Lyons (of corner house fame, and fruit pies etc). A friend mentioned only yesterday having a delivery note to a small station in the Eastern Counties sent to the commander of a military airfield. We surmised more than tea was on board! But does show they could go anywhere, Lyons was enormous into the 1960s.

Paul