THIS PAINTING IN OILS ON A 20"X30" CANVAS BOARD IS FOR SALE AT £750. E-MAILmike@transportartist.co.uk FOR DETAILS.

Ironically at one time the railways were one of the biggest users of motor lorries with each of the Group companies, the GWR, LMS, LNER and SR having sizable fleets for delivery of shipments from railheads to customers country wide.

Although this system of distribution worked very well for decades gradually the long distance “just in time” method from source to customer won out in the end with its advantage of less trans-shipment, less reliance on warehousing and of course speed, but inevitably at the eventual cost in terms of road congestion, safety and pollution. In theory rail transport over distances of, say, fifty miles, is more efficient than road, better to have one locomotive of 3000hp hauling fifty laden wagons on a safe signalled system in terms of fuel and labour costs than fifty lorries each of 300hp, each with a driver pounding down a motorway with all the dangers of driving in all weathers. But road, gradually at first but bit by bit, won out over rail in the movement of goods on our small island due to a combination of factors, not least of which seemed to be a definite lack of interest by the railway in moving freight.

Here a Ford B type of 1936 in the immediate post-war period before Nationalisation takes its load off the weighbridge at York’s goods depot and is in the livery of the LNER’s road fleet.

A painting like this of your favourite vehicle, British or American, in oils on canvas or board would cost about £1500.

E-mail mike@transportartist.co.uk to commission your own unique work of art by one of Britain’s leading transport artists.

NOW AVAILABLE IN 2011 CALENDAR!

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