BBC Radio Shite (pic heavy)

[quicksilver]

Here's a BBC OB unit that's been preserved - I'm told it was London Radio Links unit 5 based at Kendal Avenue. Photo taken in 2017 but it's still taxed.

And a couple of other ex BBC trucks from my collection:

I think this one was just a general supplies transport vehicle rather than anything directly to do with broadcasting but there were specialist units registered in the same block.

And when they inevitably switched over to articulated OB trailers (much less interesting) this was one of the tractor units.

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

 

Tipo?

[Timewaster]

This weekend at ACA

 

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctions/2565-28-Jan-2023/654~4-1990-ford-transit-190-lwb-custom&nbsp

 

 

[Asimo]

I used to look after vans full of satcom kit. Not this one though. Another fun technology slipping into the past.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/624096516275987

[Dyslexic Viking]

3 hours ago, Asimo said:

I used to look after vans full of satcom kit. Not this one though. Another fun technology slipping into the past.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/624096516275987

Impressive mileage

[hairnet]

Omg

 

[martc]

And this is how they did it in the DDR -

It's a Horch P240 Kombi.

[danthecapriman]

On 5/18/2023 at 7:53 AM, Asimo said:

I used to look after vans full of satcom kit. Not this one though. Another fun technology slipping into the past.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/624096516275987

When I worked at SSE we had an A reg Dodge 50 van and a 51 reg Mercedes Sprinter fitted out as mobile cable thumper vans. Basically a fault location tester that could locate damaged underground electricity cables. The Dodge was a real beast! 55mph flat out! The Merc though had similar high mileage like the one in your pic (in kilometres for some reason?) but it was mint. No rust anywhere. It had been painted in silver though so maybe the extra paint layer helped it.

Both were retired though and not replaced… All the equipment in the vans was now available in a hand held case that could be carried to site. No need for a big van anymore. How technology advances!

[EyesWeldedShut]

2 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

A reg Dodge 50

Around 1990/91 I had the joy* of one of those kitted out as a police van (9 seater) - it was some sort of trial vehicle The Met had bought in and, when they plumped for Freight Rovers, this old bus was put on reserve and left dormant in a basement in Lambeth. We got it out of reserve (last chicken in Sainsburys) for some event/riot/god knows what and 55mph was not on the cards with the autobox it had fitted. I think 45 mph may have been a slim possibility.
We got stuck doing a 3 point turn across the crown of a road when reverse would not work properly, shoved it backwards manually (you can just feel the embarrassment) and decided to check the ATF - none on the stick so we cleared a shelf of teeny-tiny top up bottles from the nearest Shell garage (who did our fuel cards) and rocked on.
It was big, built of girders and heavy - but felt more 'solid' than the Freight Rovers - loads more space for people & stuff too.

[danthecapriman]

8 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Around 1990/91 I had the joy* of one of those kitted out as a police van (9 seater) - it was some sort of trial vehicle The Met had bought in and, when they plumped for Freight Rovers, this old bus was put on reserve and left dormant in a basement in Lambeth. We got it out of reserve (last chicken in Sainsburys) for some event/riot/god knows what and 55mph was not on the cards with the autobox it had fitted. I think 45 mph may have been a slim possibility.
We got stuck doing a 3 point turn across the crown of a road when reverse would not work properly, shoved it backwards manually (you can just feel the embarrassment) and decided to check the ATF - none on the stick so we cleared a shelf of teeny-tiny top up bottles from the nearest Shell garage (who did our fuel cards) and rocked on.
It was big, built of girders and heavy - but felt more 'solid' than the Freight Rovers - loads more space for people & stuff too.

That’s exactly my memory of them! Big, heavy and sturdy. Back in the late 70’s to early 90’s Southern Electric (SEB) as it was then, used the Dodge 50 and later Renault version as their main vans. Kitted out as mobile workshops for jointers and fitters. The best condition vans left after they were due for replacement usually got kept as depot spare vans or converted into cable thump test vans. After the Renault version was out of production they moved on to Transits then in about 2009 they used Merc Sprinters.

I was a fitter and only had Transits and Sprinters, but the Dodge was still around in use, and I got to drive it on occasions. Mainly because they knew I liked it and enjoyed driving it!😆

Poole Depot had a similar one but it was a J reg Renault version. Drove more or less the same though. This one was silver but our A reg van was still wearing the old two tone green/beige SEB livery.

Both went for scrap though I think when the new carry case testers came into use and the vans became pointless. But they were becoming very tired by then. No idea what happened to the Sprinter one though.

[Datsuncog]

Finally turned up a contemporary pic (dated 1985) from an old magazine showing the arse end of BBC Northern Ireland's OB Cortina estate in the background:

Mast sticking out of the roof isn't very visible here, sadly.

It was still in use by the mid-90s, but no idea what became of it after that.

[BorniteIdentity]

Quite an evocative shot here.

And I’m guessing its predecessor! 

[BorniteIdentity]

One of the anoraks touting this about on FB earlier. Mercia was Cov and Warwickshire. 

[doug]

This is still around and currently restored and converted to a camper. Not far from me.

[BorniteIdentity]

This has cheered me up no end!

I started working in radio back in 2000 at Radio Suffolk. Back then we had a ‘radio car’ (Toyota Previa with an extending mast) and an ‘OB Van’ (Transit with full mixer and outboard kit). 

Generally, the radio car would do just about everything (reporting, local sport) and the OB Van would do two or three concerts or gigs a year and maybe mix a session from the garage.

These days, radio cars are much smaller due to the prominence of IP links and much less reliance on UHF links. I guessed the OB Van would be long gone. 

But no!

Radio Suffolk are at Latitude Festival and what’s that poking its face into the background!!?

Brilliant. I will try and remember the rest of the plate and see how many miles it’s done, but I reckon about 30k at most. It lives indoors at the radio station and most jobs it would do would also be in Ipswich.

I’m so pleased to see it again. Even half of it!  

[danthecapriman]

BBC Radio London Dodge Spacevan high roof at 5:09 in this video.