Jump to content
 

Heater van


divibandit
 Share

Recommended Posts

Good evening,

I'm trying to find some info on BR heater vans but internet searches haven't turned anything up.

The photo I've found shows one being shunted outside Southampton Dock by a Class 07 but I can't make out the number.

Can anyone help with dimensions please?

 

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd guess the Southampton van would have been one of the Southern Region types : either on a 21'6'' mineral wagon chassis ADS70184-89 or 26' Special Cattle Van ADS70190/1. The former type had new BR Mk1 profile bodies resembling a shortened BR Horse Box while the SCV conversions were flat sided and probably retained some of their old bodywork. ( ADS70190 survives with the S.R.P.S. at Falkirk.)

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The Larkin softback book 'BR General Parcels Rolling Stock' (Bradford Barton 1978) has a photo of ADS70187 apparently on the move at Stewarts Lane, London in 1977 (I looked this one up and it was scrapped at Swindon Works 5/77 so perhaps it was captured on its final journey). It was still in SR green livery with white lettering. The bodywork was quite clearly built to the Mark 1 coach profile as WGtoo points out - the access doors are pure Mark 1. Unfortunately the caption is rather info-light although it mentions that one WR van had a 10' wheelbase, which seems too short to be useful!

 

I once saw one of these in transit within a westbound mixed parcels and milk empties train west of Truro - date was 6/5/72 and the loco in charge was none other than Warship 821 'Greyhound'. I made a note that it was the Plymouth train heating van - I can't now recall seeing it there but I must have written that for a reason! Presumably it had a stint at Penzance although the timing of such a move seems curious......

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 16/05/2021 at 20:38, divibandit said:

Good evening,

I'm trying to find some info on BR heater vans but internet searches haven't turned anything up.

The photo I've found shows one being shunted outside Southampton Dock by a Class 07 but I can't make out the number.

Can anyone help with dimensions please?

 

Steve

 

I knew I had that photo somewhere, I've just remembered where (slim but perfectly formed 1988 Atlantic softback, 'The Colour of British Rail, Vol.1 - Diesel Pioneers') by Robert Stephens - Bill Potter pic of D2996, June 1965? Under magnification the boiler van looks like DS70188, maybe '89. 

 

Possible subject for a 3D print project......??

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The ex Southern ones are a nice easy cut and shut/ kit bash using a Parkside 21t mineral chassis and bits of MK1 coach (I had some on hand following a 2 BSK's into 1 BSO project some years ago), mine is based on ADS70185 which I believe survives up at the Churnet Valley raiway.

 

post-7400-0-54757000-1535878963_thumb.jpg.4bc717114c8e72df2d87e09a1224ceb0.jpg

post-7400-0-65335500-1546793589_thumb.jpg.2dc0a140a2b22af1a823822f29f86360.jpg

  • Like 11
  • Informative/Useful 1
  • Craftsmanship/clever 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, Marshall5 said:

A 'preserved' example exists at Quorn GCR having been relocated from the Churnet Valley last year in a semi-derelict state.  Originally seen as a source of spares (IIRC) it has been tidied up pending a final decision.

See: https://departmentals.com/departmental/041979

Ray.

 

Call the Quorn Wagon chaps!

 

Mike.

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 18/05/2021 at 02:35, Neil Phillips said:

 

I knew I had that photo somewhere, I've just remembered where (slim but perfectly formed 1988 Atlantic softback, 'The Colour of British Rail, Vol.1 - Diesel Pioneers') by Robert Stephens - Bill Potter pic of D2996, June 1965? Under magnification the boiler van looks like DS70188, maybe '89. 

 

Possible subject for a 3D print project......??

Neil,

That's the book I have... lol

I wonder if other volumes ever appeared.

 

Steve

Edited by divibandit
Additional question
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, divibandit said:

Neil,

That's the book I have... lol

I wonder if other volumes ever appeared.

 

Steve

 

Steve,

Yes, Vol 2 was on the West Coast Main Line and Vol 3 was..........no surprises, East Coast Main Line! I don't have these, and I don't think there were any more in the series. I do have a similar-format b&w book from the same publisher on Cornish branch lines though - more my thing than main lines to the north tbh!

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 17/05/2021 at 00:13, Neil Phillips said:

 Unfortunately the caption is rather info-light although it mentions that one WR van had a 10' wheelbase, which seems too short to be useful!

 

Sorry but don't see why this should be the case. The vans were for use stationary to pre-heat stock prior to the train engine being attached. I recall reading (in another thread on here IIRC) that due to axle loadings the water tanks had to be empty when running which would have prevented them being used running in trains anyway, They were also numbered as departmental stock.

 

Another use which was made of them, I encountered a pair of these vans (as they had different boiler types),  on Gateshead TMD in '78 when doing boiler training. They were in faded olive green and I think were the Mk1 patten.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Ken.W said:

 

Sorry but don't see why this should be the case. The vans were for use stationary to pre-heat stock prior to the train engine being attached. I recall reading (in another thread on here IIRC) that due to axle loadings the water tanks had to be empty when running which would have prevented them being used running in trains anyway, They were also numbered as departmental stock.

 

Another use which was made of them, I encountered a pair of these vans (as they had different boiler types),  on Gateshead TMD in '78 when doing boiler training. They were in faded olive green and I think were the Mk1 patten.

 

I was thinking in terms of the boiler itself, its fuel supply and water tank(s) in something the size of a standard 12-ton goods van, when those being discussed here were all considerably larger. I only said it seems too short to be useful, but if it existed then I guess it must have worked, even if it was a bit cramped inside......:heat:

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
23 minutes ago, Ken.W said:

Another use which was made of them, I encountered a pair of these vans (as they had different boiler types),  on Gateshead TMD in '78 when doing boiler training. They were in faded olive green and I think were the Mk1 patten.

 

I think some vans were actually marked up as Boiler Training Vans and were never actually used as actual coach heating vans.

 

Mike.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

1 minute ago, Neil Phillips said:

 

I was thinking in terms of the boiler itself, its fuel supply and water tank(s) in something the size of a standard 12-ton goods van, when those being discussed here were all considerably larger. I only said it seems too short to be useful, but if it existed then I guess it must have worked, even if it was a bit cramped inside......:heat:

 

The article from Modern Railways that I scanned and posted in the thread I linked to explains exactly why the SR versions had those choices of wheelbase. Since that effort seems to have been wasted, I won't bother looking up the numbers, but the ADS number you quote suggests SR to me, so I'd guess it was one of them.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, jonhall said:

 

 

The article from Modern Railways that I scanned and posted in the thread I linked to explains exactly why the SR versions had those choices of wheelbase. Since that effort seems to have been wasted, I won't bother looking up the numbers, but the ADS number you quote suggests SR to me, so I'd guess it was one of them.

 

 

Not wasted at all Jon, it was an interesting read from the time and explains why ex-20-ton (did they mean 21-ton?) mineral wagon underframes were appropriate for the compact Southampton vans. But such underframes had a 12-foot wheelbase and I'm wondering why the WR felt it needed a boiler van even more compact than these, and where it would have been used (Plymouth?) If it had the SR bodywork on a 10-foot underframe which then required end extensions to match, I'd suggest the wrong u/f donor was selected! If Mr Larkin was correct about its existence (and far be it from me to doubt him!) perhaps there's a photo somewhere, as my curiosity has been stoked.......:)

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Neil Phillips said:

 

Not wasted at all Jon, it was an interesting read from the time and explains why ex-20-ton (did they mean 21-ton?) mineral wagon underframes were appropriate for the compact Southampton vans. But such underframes had a 12-foot wheelbase and I'm wondering why the WR felt it needed a boiler van even more compact than these, and where it would have been used (Plymouth?) If it had the SR bodywork on a 10-foot underframe which then required end extensions to match, I'd suggest the wrong u/f donor was selected! If Mr Larkin was correct about its existence (and far be it from me to doubt him!) perhaps there's a photo somewhere, as my curiosity has been stoked.......:)

I thought that all this had been discussed before and that has links to many photos including the unusual WR shortie. Why would it be made up?

Montyburns published a photo in that link 6 years ago. 

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrdeptcoach/e7484a648

 

 

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

I thought that all this had been discussed before and that has links to many photos including the unusual WR shortie. Why would it be made up?

Montyburns published a photo in that link 6 years ago. 

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrdeptcoach/e7484a648

 

 

I joined RMweb less than two years ago and regularly discover that many subjects have been covered at some point in the past. That said, I have no excuse for not thinking to check your fascinating website for the vehicle in question - I should have known it would be there somewhere.

At least Plymouth was a good guess!

 

5 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

BOTH ........... they were built as 20-tonners but - as with all such beasts - were upgraded to 21T during the war.

 

And having only a general knowledge of wagons that's something else I've learned :good: !

  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...