British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment
Encyclopedia
British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment (BRUTE) was a system of mobile containers used by British Rail
from 1964 to the early 1990s to enable the sorting, handling and distribution of parcels, newspapers etc. in connection with railway operations.
Each trolley has two fixed wheels at the rear, and two swivelling caster
wheels at the front. These were all fitted with polyurethane
tyres and ran on taper bearings.
A coupling was provided front and rear. The front being a pin, and the rear being a hinged loop on a sprung shaft. A lever on the front operated brakes on the rear wheels and also lifted the coupling pin.
on parcels services connecting twenty stations on the routes between Paddington, Bristol
and . By the end of 1964, the name "British Railways Universal Trolley Equipment" and the acronym "BRUTE" were in use, by which time some 2500 were in use on the Western Region, with a further 2000 on order for the other regions. They were fabricated on a production line at Swindon Works. In August 1964 output was 100 per week, 150 per week two months later, and 200 per week in the early months of 1965. 40 men were employed in their production, mostly people who had previously built steam locomotives. All parts were made at Swindon except for the wheels and bearings.
Unlike traditional station trolleys they would be loaded each with parcels for a particular destination and wheeled into the train's luggage area. This saved train waiting time and also cut down on handling. They went out of use when the parcels service (known as "Red Star"
) was discontinued.
Modified bogie
General Utility Van
s (GUVs) were fitted with hinged beams that folded down inside the double doors to protect doors from being burst open should a BRUTE hit them unintentionally. The footsteps below the doors were also removed as these were easily damaged during careless unloading of the vans. They were given TOPS CARKIND NK.
Many four-wheeled British Rail-built Covered Carriage Truck
s (CCTs) were fitted with chains inside to stop BRUTEs moving during transit. They were given TOPS CARKIND NP.
A unique bogie Parcels Carrying Van (PCV) vehicle was constructed in 1970 as a BRUTE carrier. It was built from GRP
on the underframe of dismantled corridor composite Sc15170. In its new role it was numbered E85000 and was in service until 1982.
in York.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
from 1964 to the early 1990s to enable the sorting, handling and distribution of parcels, newspapers etc. in connection with railway operations.
Description
The BRUTE were a simple wheeled platform, generally fitted with a mesh around three sides of the body, whilst the fourth side is open but provided with canvas or plastic straps for restraint of the load. The front included a panel that allowed notes to be chalked to help sort traffic. As well as the usual cages, other BRUTE platforms were provided with just the front (for carrying bulky loads too big for the cage), and others with no sides but instead two hinged ramps that could be used to load or unload BRUTEs into railway vans.Each trolley has two fixed wheels at the rear, and two swivelling caster
Caster
A caster is an undriven, single, double, or compound wheel that is designed to be mounted to the bottom of a larger object so as to enable that object to be easily moved...
wheels at the front. These were all fitted with polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
tyres and ran on taper bearings.
A coupling was provided front and rear. The front being a pin, and the rear being a hinged loop on a sprung shaft. A lever on the front operated brakes on the rear wheels and also lifted the coupling pin.
History
Their first use was on the Western RegionWestern Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
on parcels services connecting twenty stations on the routes between Paddington, Bristol
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
and . By the end of 1964, the name "British Railways Universal Trolley Equipment" and the acronym "BRUTE" were in use, by which time some 2500 were in use on the Western Region, with a further 2000 on order for the other regions. They were fabricated on a production line at Swindon Works. In August 1964 output was 100 per week, 150 per week two months later, and 200 per week in the early months of 1965. 40 men were employed in their production, mostly people who had previously built steam locomotives. All parts were made at Swindon except for the wheels and bearings.
Unlike traditional station trolleys they would be loaded each with parcels for a particular destination and wheeled into the train's luggage area. This saved train waiting time and also cut down on handling. They went out of use when the parcels service (known as "Red Star"
Red Star Parcels
Red Star Parcels was a service which utilised passenger trains for transporting parcels between passenger railway stations throughout the United Kingdom, owned and operated by British Rail. It was introduced experimentally on 1 April 1963. Senders could despatch their consignments to a number of...
) was discontinued.
BRUTE carriers
BRUTEs could be carried in most parcels vans or passenger brake vehicles with double-width doors, but several types of van were specially modified to carry them. Yellow circular labels stating 'BRUTE CIRCUIT ONLY' were stuck on the side to identify them. When TOPS CARKND codes were introduced they had different codes to unmodified vans.Modified bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
General Utility Van
General Utility Van
A General Utility Van is a type of rail vehicle built by British Rail and its predecessors, which was primarily used for transporting mail and parcels. They were used by both Express Parcels Systems, the British Post Office and Railtrack. National Rail and some Train Operating Companies still use...
s (GUVs) were fitted with hinged beams that folded down inside the double doors to protect doors from being burst open should a BRUTE hit them unintentionally. The footsteps below the doors were also removed as these were easily damaged during careless unloading of the vans. They were given TOPS CARKIND NK.
Many four-wheeled British Rail-built Covered Carriage Truck
Covered Carriage Truck
Covered Carriage Truck was a type of van with end doors used for moving motor cars or parcel traffic. Four wheeled CCT were banned from British Rail in the mid 1960s. These vans were designed to be used for carrying motor cars in Motorail but the tight clearances inside the body of the van and...
s (CCTs) were fitted with chains inside to stop BRUTEs moving during transit. They were given TOPS CARKIND NP.
A unique bogie Parcels Carrying Van (PCV) vehicle was constructed in 1970 as a BRUTE carrier. It was built from GRP
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
on the underframe of dismantled corridor composite Sc15170. In its new role it was numbered E85000 and was in service until 1982.
Preservation
There are some examples of BRUTEs to be seen in The Warehouse at the National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in York.
External links
- Geograph photo: "Trainspotters and BRUTEs at Piccadilly" (Manchester)
- Geograph photo: "How much?" (Warehouse doorway at Doncaster with sign: 'Load limited to One loaded Brute')