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1937 Railton Eight Sandown Saloon Metropolitan Police Flying Squad 
Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: 
![[*]](/res/star.png){kind=small}
Vehicle used by a character or in a car chase
Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2016-04-19 11:01 |
![[Image: rja_13.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/rja_13.jpg) ![[Image: rja_15.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/rja_15.jpg) ![[Image: rja_16.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/rja_16.jpg) |
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◊ 2016-04-19 11:55 |
Railton 16.9 Sandown saloon? Probably quite rare as only 81 cars were built |
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◊ 2016-04-19 12:14 |
Used as, and possibly an actual Metropolitan Police 'Flying Squad' radio car, like most of the police vehicles. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 12:56 |
Listed as being used by the London Metropolitan Police http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/railtoncars.htm http://railton.org/category/history "Production began in 1933 and continued up until the outbreak of WWII. Six cars were assembled during the war for use by the Metropolitan Police. After the war four more cars were built using chassis stored for the duration and two cars were constructed on post war chassis." Eight or Six cylinder used by the Metropolitan Police? To be confirmed. Potentially, depending when filmed, a new vehicle on a post war or stored chassis as no war-time 'blackout' paint visible, unlike the MP recovery truck. -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 13:26:26 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 13:49 |
ELL a London County Council series which ran from Nov 1937 to July 1938. Counting the bonnet louvres and then counting those on the two pictures in Sedgwick and Gillies suggests that this is a six cylinder car. It also suggests that I need a bigger magnifying glass. -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 13:55:48 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 13:58 |
..... and "Allocated in blocks". |
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◊ 2016-04-19 14:04 |
The only major difference between this and the pictures dotted about the net is the leathercloth roof and the small rear window. Maybe a modification to the coachwork at the behest of the Peelers. Flying Squad? I don't see it catching much with that antique straight six of only 2.7 litres hauling all that coachwork, a Ford V-8 30 would leave it floundering, especially if there were four well fed coppers in the luxurious interior of the Railton. -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 14:09:59 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 14:13 |
The radio and radio operator (morse-code!) was in the back so hiding said equipment would be important!![[Image: rjradio11.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/rjradio11.jpg) |
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◊ 2016-04-19 14:15 |
So no doubt some big fat batteries as well. The Dagenite 242 comes to mind, as recommended by Crewe to start my Bentley. The other mod looks to be an opening windscreen and top-mounted wipers, again possibly a requirement of the Met. -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 14:22:54 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 14:22 |
I think the idea of a car chase was never high on priorities. They would radio ahead, or be in position directed by the control room, and a copper would just raise his arm and the villains would stop. A lot more relaxed in those days if the film is to be believed. All the villains would offer information to the police and when apprehended 'come-quietly'. No rough stuff. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 17:01 |
What count did you get for 6-cyl and 8-cyl johnfromstaffs? My count on two illustrations on these pages was 17 louvres (also in the movie) for both six and eight? Not definitive by any means and not conclusive. Eight - http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_railton.htm Six - http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/classic-car-images/railton.jpg |
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◊ 2016-04-19 17:13 |
17 on the six pot, which is side on, shown on page 157, and 25ish on the eight, which is at an angle to the camera a page earlier. It's not so easy to see, but there are so many more that I felt it was outside the limits of experimental error. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 17:32 |
In order to ensure accuracy, I have been upstairs and scanned the image from the book into my "powerhouse" laptop at 600 dpi, then blown it up to about three times the size and counted again. I think that dsl has a copy of the book, so he could check it if necessary. Twenty five exactly. -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 17:35:40 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 17:46 |
The problem with the S&G 16.9 photo ![[Image: railtonstraight8sandown.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/10314/railtonstraight8sandown.jpg) (which by implication has to be a Sandown as the only saloon version listed there, along with Claremont DHC) is that it is also shown with 1938 Railton Sandown Straight Eight caption at http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_railton.htm. So it's a Sandown, but 6 or 8 is still unclear. The Eight in the S&G entry is a different body (sharp roof edges, both doors rear hinged, plate is FPH 386) and 3 saloons are listed - Sandown, Cobham, Stratton plus University limo. Text says Cobham was "razor edge" so maybe that's what's pictured there and vents is a body variation, not indicator of engine?? |
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◊ 2016-04-19 18:43 |
Certainly it's a different body, the doors are hung differently. It's like trying to sort a Phantom from a 25/30. I'd be prepared to agree to either, maybe the force found the extra cash for the other two cylinders to keep up with criminals in V-8 cars after all. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 18:50 |
I admire your dedication, both johnfromstaffs and dsl, to add to the information (or confusion) this earlier Flying Squad saloon had 18 louvres, by my count. "Probably the Flying Squads most famous car the Railton Staight Eight Saloon of 1933..." http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/graphics/pdf/V201.pdf ![[Image: flyingsquad.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/558/flyingsquad.jpg) ...but it does appear that at one time they preferred the straight eight and not the six.. also this forthcoming release from Brooklin Models, a 1939 Flying Squad Railton eight or six not specified! -- Last edit: 2016-04-19 18:57:08 |
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◊ 2016-04-19 19:04 |
I think we can be fairly certain it's not a 10hp anyway! |
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◊ 2016-04-19 19:47 |
Let's go for an Eight as we have some references for Flying Squad use and one claim they were famous in their time. So far no indication they used 6s, and a bit counter-intuitive - S&G say performance was "unspectacular". |
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◊ 2016-04-19 20:08 |
Fair enough, numbers are in favour of the Eight, anyhow. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 21:37 |
I've deleted my family history as being of little interest. |
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◊ 2016-04-19 21:44 |
On more than one occasion, the Hendon police training school also raced them against the Bentley Drivers Club. So a Straight Eight is necessary if they were to compete. "The last event was the exciting 'Gestapo' Grand Prix, in which Radford and Marechal tied for best time with 2 min. 22 sec., and Steele drove the police 4½-litre Lagonda and Skeggs the police Railton in a very skilled manner." Motor Sport Magazine archive July 1949. |
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