GWR Dia. Y4 Banana Vans from Rapido

[RapidoCorbs]

It’s official: Rapido Trains UK has gone bananas!

 

 

Not only has it added additional liveries to its forthcoming range of GWR five-plank opens and ‘Mink A’ vans but it has also expanded the ‘Mink A’ collection with the Diagram Y4 banana van.

 

The origins of the ‘Y4’ date back to May 1918 when an order was given to turn 300 general purpose Dia. V16 ‘Mink A’ vans into insulated meat vans to cover a shortage of such vehicles. 

These converted vans were given the new diagram number ‘X6’ (also available from Rapido Trains UK) and were re-coded as ‘Mica A’. The changes were internal; the bodies were insulated with cork and meat hooks were fitted to the roofs. 

The conversion was only deemed a temporary measure, so in 1921 the process to convert ‘X6s’ back into ‘V16s’ began.
At the same time, the trade in bananas was booming. The delicious fruit was picked before it was ripe, being transported across the Atlantic in steam-refrigerated ships to keep it green.

Upon arrival in Britain, the bunches of bananas would be loaded into steam-heated vans to quickly ripen them as they were taken to their destination.

Rather than turn the remaining 258 X6s back into general purpose vans, they were fitted with steam heating and a new adjustable end ventilator to become the Diagram ‘Y4’ banana van.

 

The door locks and handles were relocated to be within easy reach of dock workers, as the wagons were loaded whilst ‘on the move’ through the warehouses at Avonmouth.
During the Second World War and the resultant shortage of available merchant ships, banana traffic was paused (the British government bought the entire crop to try to prevent economic disaster in the Caribbean, and the crop was burned). When imports resumed in 1945, the ‘Y4s’ went back to work, lasting well into the BR steam era.

Rapido’s new ‘Y4’ is to feature an all-new body, sharing its chassis with the ‘V16s’, with the addition of steam heating pipes. A Mica ‘X6’ is also being added to the range.
3 main eras are represented by the liveries on offer; inter-war, post-war GWR and steam-age BR.

 

BROWSE THE RANGE OF Y4 BANANA VANS HERE

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by RapidoCorbs

[Nick C]

Bananas seem popular at the moment! Would these have, in BR days, run to Southampton at all? (as in, can I mix a couple in with the set of SR ones I've got on order, and the Parkside BR ones in the kit stash...)

 

I'm also disappointed to read in the newsletter that "only folks of a certain age" would get the Bananaman references - that must mean I'm getting old!

[2E Sub Shed]

4 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Would these have, in BR days, run to Southampton at all?

Chris Leigh  did a prototype feature on Banana Vans in Model Rail Issue 203, (December 2014), might find some information there, my copy is not to hand.

[Wickham Green too]

Banana vans were added to the 'Common User' pool in 1941 so - presumably - any such vans could have been found at banana ports thereafter.

[Phil Bullock]

Wondering how long these lasted in BR days please? 

[RapidoCorbs]

46 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Banana vans were added to the 'Common User' pool in 1941 so - presumably - any such vans could have been found at banana ports thereafter.

 

1941-1945 they would have been in use as ordinary insulated vans as the banana trade was paused until December 1945, so they could have been seen almost anywhere.

 

13 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Wondering how long these lasted in BR days please? 

 

W93370 was condemned in 1958 according to my notes.

Edited April 14, 2023 by RapidoCorbs

[57xx]

Not something I'm interested in getting, but they look very nice none-the-less.

[micklner]

The same problems the recent Oxford LNER versions have,  they only ran as block trains . As far as I know ?.

[RapidoCorbs]

Just now, micklner said:

The same problems the recent Oxford LNER versions have,  they only ran as block trains . As far as I know ?.

 

The article by David Cross (former PBA employee) said block trains on some journeys and on others they ran in blocks for part of the route before being broken up and carried onward by local services.

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

6 minutes ago, RapidoCorbs said:

 

The article by David Cross (former PBA employee) said block trains on some journeys and on others they ran in blocks for part of the route before being broken up and carried onward by local services.

 

 

When I was working at Curzon Street in the mid 1960s there was a banana shed in the old Grand Junction yard. That had a few vans at a time coming in on the local trips. 

The block trains from the docks had there own special tables in the Western Region WTT. I don't know if this applied to other regions. Some examples of them can be found on the Michael Clemens Railways website http://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk/?atk=572

If you look at the last few pages of the freight books you will usually find some.

In our area for example we had Q trains Avonmouth to Moor Street or Banbury or Water Orton, Barry Docks to Bradford (via Stratford upon avon, Banbury and Woodford Halse} and Southampton to Moor Street or Woodford Halse or Banbury or Crewe.  On the London district trains terminated at Reading, Yarnton, Acton or Old Oak Common.

On arrival at the terminating yard the trains would have been split up and vans worked forward to local depots or wholesalers in smaller blocks or on local trips.

[Phil Bullock]

2 hours ago, RapidoCorbs said:

 

1941-1945 they would have been in use as ordinary insulated vans as the banana trade was paused until December 1945, so they could have been seen almost anywhere.

 

 

W93370 was condemned in 1958 according to my notes.

Many thanks …. Gone by my era then

[TheSignalEngineer]

The picture of M Shed at Bristol in the video showing the Y4 vans is interesting as besides the large number of LMS vans in the foreground there is an LNER van and an SR van in the line in front of the shed. Have you any idea of the date?

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

4 hours ago, RapidoCorbs said:

W93370 was condemned in 1958 according to my notes.

I am tempted as to run some of my stock the timeframe of the layout can shift from about 1956 to 1961. As time moves on it can be replaced in the train by a BR Yellow Spot one.

[Keegs]

I’ve emailed Rapido but thought I would post here for all those eagle-eyed such as myself, it looks like they missed the “FYFFES“ logo off 93405 in the preorder photo for it however it was included in the rake of 3 on the website so it looks like the finished model might have it hopefully just a small discrepancy -correct render attached for assurance! :) either that or it may be due to licensing?

Edited April 14, 2023 by Keegs

[BenL]

40 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

The picture of M Shed at Bristol in the video showing the Y4 vans is interesting as besides the large number of LMS vans in the foreground there is an LNER van and an SR van in the line in front of the shed. Have you any idea of the date?

 

The same photo is in the GWR Journal article on Avonmouth banana traffic and is dated as May 1946.

[TheSignalEngineer]

23 minutes ago, BenL said:

The same photo is in the GWR Journal article on Avonmouth banana traffic and is dated as May 1946.

Thanks. That would fit with the return of bananas after WW2. I believe the first consignment arrived at Avonmouth in December 1945.

[RapidoCorbs]

3 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

When I was working at Curzon Street in the mid 1960s there was a banana shed in the old Grand Junction yard. That had a few vans at a time coming in on the local trips. 

The block trains from the docks had there own special tables in the Western Region WTT. I don't know if this applied to other regions. Some examples of them can be found on the Michael Clemens Railways website http://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk/?atk=572

If you look at the last few pages of the freight books you will usually find some.

In our area for example we had Q trains Avonmouth to Moor Street or Banbury or Water Orton, Barry Docks to Bradford (via Stratford upon avon, Banbury and Woodford Halse} and Southampton to Moor Street or Woodford Halse or Banbury or Crewe.  On the London district trains terminated at Reading, Yarnton, Acton or Old Oak Common.

On arrival at the terminating yard the trains would have been split up and vans worked forward to local depots or wholesalers in smaller blocks or on local trips.

 

That said, if someone wants to break out the renumbering decals to recreate these scenes, I'd be impressed!

Note that the first vehicle in the train is a conversion of an earlier van with the transverse leaf spring buffers, just to be awkward.....

 

[RapidoCorbs]

22 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Thanks. That would fit with the return of bananas after WW2. I believe the first consignment arrived at Avonmouth in December 1945.

There's a fascinating bit of Pathe newsreel about the return of bananas, apparently the first shipment was mostly reserved for children, many of whom would not have eaten one before. 
Also shows the canvas elevator close-up.

A bit annoying that they re-used my line at the end and couldn't come up with their own sign-off, though.
 

 

[Wickham Green too]

11 hours ago, RapidoCorbs said:

... children, many of whom would not have eaten one before. ...

... and, supposedly, had no idea how to gain entry !

[The Stationmaster]

21 hours ago, Nick C said:

Bananas seem popular at the moment! Would these have, in BR days, run to Southampton at all? (as in, can I mix a couple in with the set of SR ones I've got on order, and the Parkside BR ones in the kit stash...)

 

I'm also disappointed to read in the newsletter that "only folks of a certain age" would get the Bananaman references - that must mean I'm getting old!

Below is my photo of a banana special out of Barry Docks one Sunday afternoon.  I have purposely over-brightened it to help show the vans and as you can see they are in the category of 'best mixed'.  The train was destined for Old Oak and the brand new EE Type 3 , even showing what looks like a correct headcode, worked it as far as Swindon - it would have included vans for Reading (Low Level) and Lent Rise (Taplow) plus various other destinations

 

[Dominion]

3 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

... and, supposedly, had no idea how to gain entry !

My mum was 13 at the start of the war. She said one of the girls that lived near them had a medical condition that meant bananas were very good for her. Apparently “the authorities” somehow managed to keep the child in supply. My Mum said she and her friends were envious. 

[gwrrob]

Interesting pages on banana traffic here.

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrms1729.htm

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moorstreet-gwr-article6.htm

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrrj2765.htm

[RapidoCorbs]

3 hours ago, gwrrob said:

Interesting pages on banana traffic here.

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrms1729.htm

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moorstreet-gwr-article6.htm

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrrj2765.htm

 

Yes very much so, interesting that they quote 11 degrees for transport, the source I read quoted 20 degrees.

 

The second one in the list covers the process of filling the steam heat pipe first (with all the take-offs closed) and then turning on each wagon's supply going from the end of the train to the front.

 

One thing to note on the 16" GW trio - they need NCU plates adding to the artwork.

Edited April 16, 2023 by RapidoCorbs

[RapidoCorbs]

On distribution, here are Y4s 93252 (I think) and 95173 at Newport Docks in the early 1940s. Interesting mix of wagons including a filthy MICA plus LNER and LMS banaenae vans.

 

[Wickham Green too]

Presumably very early 1940s - before whatever date in '41 the last banana boat arrived ! ( Or are they all in meat traffic p'raps ? )