DTELS.Org

This is a tad late I know but I have only just joined the forum.
The callsigns of the trains incuded 'Paris, 'Madrid' and I think 'Toronto' although I can't be sure of that one.
I heard that the radios used were ART5000s or something similar. ART stood for Advanced Radio Telephone and I think that they were manufactured by Dymar. They were multi channel sets capable of tuning to all UK police channels and had been used by Regional Crime Squads. Some RCS used high power Pye (Westminster I believe) sets for car to car comms. These sets had been originally manufactured for the sea borne Hong Kong Police units.

Posted on behalf of Dave Hicks (G8EPR)

Dave has posted photos and text on his web site relating to the Pye Vanguard AM25B 10 Channel Transportable and poses the question as to whether such equipment was introduced and used by Royal Mail staff to communicate with Police Forces as trains passed through each county following the great train robbery of 1963.

Please feel free to comment on this posting or email Dave directly at the address detailed on his web page.

Posted on behalf of Kaye Kent

"I'm working on a film in Yorkshire about The Great Train Robbery of 1963. There are a number of scenes in the script in which a VHF receiver, VHF scanner and VHF radio are all mentioned. In particular, I'm seeking clarification as to what VHF equipment would have been available in 1963 that were most likely to have been used by the robbers for listening into police transmissions from their vehicles.

I would also appreciate if you have any information about the 'PYE FONE', specifically whether this make was in use in 1963?"

Webmaster Note:
VHF scanning receivers were probably rare in 1963, also regional police forces in 1963 were then operating in the 80-102Mhz band and their AM control room-vehicle transmissions could be picked up by most domestic FM receivers, albeit with poor quality compared to an AM receiver.

If anyone has thoughts on the type of equipment most likely to have been used by the robbers then please reply to this posting.