OO Scale | British Rail Express Parcels Commer Walk Thru

Commer was a British manufacturer of commercial vehicles from 1905 until 1979. Commer vehicles included car-derived vans, light vans, medium to heavy commercial trucks, military vehicles and buses, many of which have been modelled by Oxford. The company also designed and built its own diesel engines for its heavy commercial vehicles. The Commer Walk-Thru was introduced in 1961 as a replacement for the Commer BF and this new commercial van was offered in 1½ ton, 2 ton and 3-ton van and cab-chassis variants with a choice of diesel or petrol engines.

This 1:76 scale model appears as an Express Parcels vehicle for the railway. Decorated in white with royal blue masking to the sides of the body, the bonnet and the rear, it is registered LRR 592P from 1975/76. Our van also sports the British Railways Double Arrow logo, which was introduced in 1965. The wheels are also deep blue with the interior and remaining exterior trim finished in black. The rear roller shutter door is also masked in the same dark blue.

Some interesting history surrounds the Double Arrow insignia. The logo was designed by an innovative design agency which had been commissioned to add a bit of modern vitality to the neglected railway industry in Britain. The design was conceived by Geoff Barney of the Design Research Unit, in which he cleverly used two interlocking arrows showing the direction of travel on a double track railway. The logo is still used today, even after the demise of British Rail, where it is a registered trademark in the name of the Secretary of State for Transport. Fortunately, this instantly recognisable logo is still available for use under licence across the UK network by train operating companies, where it is seen everywhere from train sides to road signage and artwork.

This authentic Rail Express Parcels van will complement any 00 gauge railway layout of the period as a lineside vehicle. Alternatively, team it up with its predecessors including the British Railways Southern Division Chief Civil Engineers van which launched the series; the bright red London Fire Brigade version; as a delivery van used by the Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd; and most recently the bright turquoise and red Pollock vehicle.