Midland Counties Dairy Milk Float SJW 599

Midland Counties Dairy quickly realised how suitable battery-electric vehicles were for 'stop-start' work. The first entered service in 1928. Over 150 were in use by the end of the 1930s, all painted in the dairy's white, blue and yellow livery. This number more than quadrupled in the coming years as sales of bottled milk increased.

From the beginning Electricars, Morrison Electric, and Midland met nearly all the dairy's electric fleet needs. Trucks from Wilson and Smiths were also bought for a few years.

Midland Counties Dairy had purchased the second Midland chassis to be built, in 1936. It remained loyal, buying chassis from them until Midland's closure in 1957. Even then, the Dairy purchased all the available remaining parts and built 3 more vehicles! SJW 599 is one of 30 that entered service with the Wolverhampton fleet in 1956.

Preservation

SJW 599 was sold to the Brockmoor Foundry at Brierley Hill in 1974 for use on the factory site only. This company donated it to the Museum in 1989, by which time it was rather battered. A total restoration was completed in 2006.