76CFV002 Oxford Diecast Bedford CF Van British Rail

All ready for your 00 gauge railway layout of the era, is this great little Bedford CF Van which was a familiar sight on the British roads from 1969 to the mid 1980s.  It succeeded the legendary Bedford CA van and was seen as a competitor to rival Ford’s Transit van. It was the last vehicle to be designed solely by Vauxhall and was discontinued in 1986. During its day, its versatility made it one of the most popular light commercials of the day and it was equally sought after as the template for a caravanette, notably the Bedford Dormobile. It came with longitudinal front engine and rear wheel drive and transmission of 2/4/5 manual to a 3-speed General Moors automatic. In 1980, a CF facelift introduced a 2.3L diesel engine as an alternative to the petrol engine.

Our model is registered UYV 710S from 1977 and appears in the familiar bright yellow colour scheme with black British Rail lettering to the sides and the rear of the van. The equally famous double arrow, designed by a young lettering artist Gerry Barney in 1964 to represent the double track railway and introduced by British Rail in 1965, is printed boldly in red on the van sides.  The British Rail Double Arrow has gone on to be a symbol of the railways in Britain since then, albeit in different colour schemes and in use in all kinds of railway-related areas. The van has a wealth of black and chrome exterior trim in contrast to the bright bodywork while the interior is moulded completely in black.