Model Railroading > Walthers new HO USPS delivery van

Hey Everybody. I hope everyone is staying safe.

I'm always in the hunt for modern vechicles to fit my modern CSX layout. I have a lack of USPS vechicles so when I saw these awhile back in the Walthers flyer, I ordered a couple. Thanks Bruce

 

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Package info. Cheers.  Bruce

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Bruce they look great in your layout. As a retired USPS employee these vans are great for the delivery of packages but when it came to delivery of everyday mail service these vans just can't do the same job as those terrible sweat boxes called LLV"s. Which stood for Long Life Vehicle. When I started my career we had those small jeeps for our day to day delivery then along came the LLV.
Started career in Miami Florida, then it was Rodeo California and finally finished my career in Snellville Georgia..
Robert retired in Lagrande Oregon now.

Never seen these in the real world.  Our postal service uses older Jeep type vehicles,
with a sliding door that normally stays open, or in more rural areas, the postman's personal vehicle.

Fedex and UPS uses the step vans.

I guess the larger cities get these newer vehicles first.

Just to clarify things. I do see these vans in my area fairly often but they are mostly delivering packages. I am not stating here that this is a common USPS mail delivery vechicle as it is not but it is the only thing I have seen for modern folks to represent something. Since the mail has not been delivered on my layout in 25 years, they need this larger van to get it done for now LOL.  Thanks Bruce

The LLV is available in a kit right now and I may get one at some point.

https://midwestmodelrr.com/product/scm3004/

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/20 05:23 by brfriedm.

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Custom Model Creations also does the Grumman mail van (which is what my carrier uses) as a 3D printed model.
You can find his items on that well-known auction site.

TJY

I see a mix of the LLV's and the new vans in my area. My carrier has one of the new vans.
He said the old LLV's were being replaced as they fail. At least that's how they're doing it in Riverside, California.

They all take forever to deliver from Amazon. I'm waiting for something from Amazon that has been sitting in San Berdoo for several days.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

As a former postal employee, rural carrier, let me add:  The LLV's, Long Life Vehicle, are Grumman bodies on Chevy chassis.  Most of them are well past a million miles, maybe two million.  And they are PIGS.  I'll leave it at that.  The newer vans are going to city carriers  with walking routes.  They are not set up for curbside box delivery.  I'm looking forward to seeing what USPS
comes up with to continue curbside deliveries when the LLV's finally die.  (LLV's are right hand drive.)

Nice model and modeling, thanks for posting.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

A question . If modeling the 1965-1975 era what would be the type of the most common mail delivery vehicle and what graphics ? ---  Ken 

I worked for the Post Office as a substitute carrier in the summer of 1970 in Bakersfield, CA. The residential mail carriers in the city used three-wheeled scooters and Jeeps.

The Jeeps were relatively new at that time, maybe a year old at the most.

I hated the three-wheeled scooters because they had a top speed of only 35 mph. When I traveled on roads with higher posted speeds (like 45 mph) in order to get to some routes, my post office scooter was usually the slowest vehicle on the road.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/20 22:02 by johnsweetser.

Sweat box is a understatement! Not only that, they really have outlived their life span. The funny thing is my LLV was built in 1993 and only has 92,000 miles on it, but the route next to me has a FFV built in 2000 with over 150,000 miles! My truck was previously at a all walking station and was a loaner vehicle for years before that. I put about 25 miles a day on it on my mounted route.

That truck in the photo is not quite prototypical, but close enough. The USPS vans are Dodge Promasters, not Mercedes and most only have one seat. Again, to the average person, they look the same. 

I do have one of the Showcase Minatures LLV kits here, the wife wants to do it, and I am going to let her!

8notch Wrote:
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> Bruce they look great in your layout. As a retired
> USPS employee these vans are great for the
> delivery of packages but when it came to delivery
> of everyday mail service these vans just can't do
> the same job as those terrible sweat boxes called
> LLV"s. Which stood for Long Life Vehicle. When I
> started my career we had those small jeeps for our
> day to day delivery then along came the LLV.
> Started career in Miami Florida, then it was Rodeo
> California and finally finished my career in
> Snellville Georgia..
> Robert retired in Lagrande Oregon now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/20 16:28 by ST214.