Talk:Milk float

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Food and drink Mid‑importance

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Uses

A converted milk float used to be used in the London Marathon, it carried a large clock to display the elapsed time to the athlete as it went along In front of them (its pace broadly matched the runners) - there is no mention of that though. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr gobrien (talk • contribs) 16:49, 9 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Etymology

Why is it called a Milk Float? Anyone have any idea of the origin. --jmb 12:27, 22 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Because of it's electric motors. They make the vehicle quiet which gives you the fealing of it floating over the road. Unisouth 13:06, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Real answer: Nobody really knows! See http://www.milkfloats.org.uk/faq.html 193.113.37.7 15:10, 18 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just told you the answer! Unisouth 15:04, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Only problem is that the term "float" was used for horse drawn milk floats before the battery powered electric versions. From the OED

milk float n. (chiefly Brit.) an open-sided vehicle (now usually electrically powered) for delivering milk.
1887 Bury Times 3 Sept. 6/4 He noticed the defendant driving a *milk float towards him at a great speed.
1935 N. COLLINS Three Friends viii. 143 A horse attached to a milk float wore a hat made of newspaper.

--jmb 17:48, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Realy? Then I don't know! Unisouth 10:16, 2 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Surely it's that the loading area is an open-sided platform, inviting a comparison to a parade float. That article says "The name is derived from the first floats, which were decorated barges that were towed along canals with ropes held by parade marchers on the shore." --KJBracey 07:03, 27 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Concise Oxford Dictionary includes (amongst many others) the following definitions of float:

kind of low-bodied cart
platform on wheels with show used in processions

--PeterR 22:59, 31 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This edit includes the open sides in the lead. The origin is from Float (horse-drawn), which is referred to under Milk float#Alternatives. --Trevj (talk) 14:44, 29 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

"this edit" as you so innocently describe it, is an uncited addition of your own, made only moments earlier.

There is no evidence that milk floats are specifically open-sided, or that floats in general were open sided. In fact they weren't - horse drawn floats (with large wheels, for the poor roads of the time) certainly didn't have open sides. The open side is a relatively modern innovation. The one horse-drawn vehicle that did have side access, and low wheels to permit this, was a dray, as used by brewers.

Floats, as described in Float (horse-drawn), have a low load platform. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:07, 29 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Horse drawn milk floats generally carried one or more milk churns on a low platform which the milkman would use to fill customers' jugs. Reusable milk bottles only arrived in quantity in the 30s, and my mother can still remember buying milk from an old style churn in the 50s. --Ef80 (talk) 14:15, 17 June 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Gradients

Presumably milk floats are unsuitable for use on steep roads. Is there any information available on how steep a road would be to prevent the use of milk floats? Many urban areas are quite hilly even in major cities.--Johnsoniensis (talk) 19:12, 3 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Milk floats are used wherever milk needs to be delivered. Although the electric milk floats are low powered and slow, they do climb short hills quite well. For rural rounds they're usually built on normal van chassis (petrol or diesel), but with open sides and the float bodywork. Andy Dingley (talk) 20:53, 3 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you.--Johnsoniensis (talk) 04:55, 4 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Overly detailed tag removed

Having removed a lot of the details of individual models for each manufacturer, I have also removed the overly detailed tag that was placed on the Manufacturers section. Such details are adequately covered in the individual articles about the manufacturers. I have left some of the details on MetroVick, as they are not yet covered in the Metropolitan-Vickers article. Bob1960evens (talk) 22:55, 13 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I have now removed some of the details from MetroVick, as I have written a Metrovick electric vehicles article. Bob1960evens (talk) 22:55, 14 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Bluebird Automotive

Does anyone know if Bluebird Automotive actually produced milk floats? They seem to have produced a demonstator, which took the world speed record for milk floats, but I cannot find anything else that does not link back to Bluebird promotional material. Did they ever supply any vehicles to anyone? Bob1960evens (talk) 23:00, 14 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Milk Truck