Diagonal White Stripe - Brake Van 1965

[watfordtmc]

In the current edition of Backtrack (March 2024) one of the colour articles contains an image of a short mineral train just south of Leicester, dated 06/05/1965 (Ref 1).

 

The train has brake vans at both ends.  The van coupled next to engine is an early pattern LNER van of the sort that I deduce from Tatlow 4b (Ref 2) to be diagram 34, Toad B, with a wooden ducket.

 

A diagonal white line is painted across the body & ducket of the van from, as you face the van, top right of the body to not quite bottom left of the body.

I cannot recall seeing such a thing on a brake van before.

 

 Now to be sure the van does have an end opening door, two in fact!, but I don’t think that this is the purpose of the stripe.

 

I have considered if the stripe is in fact sunlight being reflected off something onto the van body but there doesn’t seem to be anything that could make such a reflection, so I’m satisfied that the stripe is painted on.

 

The engine (48687) carries one headlamp over the righthand buffer, as you face the smokebox.  I understand this indicates a Class 9 stopping freight train at this date.

 

So does the stripe indicate a brake van restricted to local duties or is there some other explanation for the stripe.

Has anyone else noticed something similar on other brake vans, or have any knowledge or memories of such a thing?

 

References

1: An East Midlands Portfolio, collection of Lathlane S, Backtrack March 2024, Vol 38 No 3 (Issue No 395), page 165.

2: LNER Wagons Volume 4b, Tatlow P, Wild Swan Books (Bath) 2015.  pages 315-319 for discussion on early LNER brake vans.

 

Regards

TMc

23/02/2024

[Wickham Green too]

Not only the white stripe is odd but the ducket and body above & below are in a very dark grey while the rest looks the standard shade ( as typified by most of the following wagons ). The shock wagon would be an odd choice for what is described as a coal train !

[Steamport Southport]

I haven't seen the photo.

 

But could it have been one of the ones used when they were electrifying the WCML. ISTR some of those had diagonal stripes painted across the body.

 

Like this?

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lnerbrake/e2c795f14

 

 

Jason

Edited February 24 by Steamport Southport

[Halvarras]

Bachmann produced this as a limited edition for Kernow.....in case it's relevant. Grey stripe rather than white though:

 

[BR traction instructor]

...there were restrictions being applied to brakevans at this time as to which types could be used as the train brakevan in which the guard would ride. Restrictions could be due to low overall weight, whether duckets were provided, wheelbase and whether there was a veranda at each end. Unsuitable brakevans for general use did see local work/restricted duties (e.g. for propelling) for some time after the restrictions were introduced. It may be the case that some brakevans unsuitable for general use carried markings/lettering to denote restricted status.

 

BeRTIe

Edited February 24 by BR traction instructor

[watfordtmc]

Time to draw this post to a conclusion.

 

Like @Steamport Southport and @Halvarras I had wondered if the stripe donated departmental use.   But I couldn’t reconcile this with apparent use of the van in revenue traffic - although I would never like to say never on railway matters.

 

However I feel that the observations by @BR traction instructor apply here.  The van is being provided for some operational reason but is restricted to local duties only.

 

@Wickham Green too draws attention to the painting of the van.   My personal interpretation of the image is that the van has been repainted into BR freight grey, sometime in the 50’s I suspect, which has got extremely weathered.

 

At some, much more recent time, the body each side of the ducket has been repainted, but not the ducket itself or the areas above and below it.

The stripe however has been painted over the whole body, grimy ducket and all!

 

Given that these Dia 34 vans were not built after 1929, and the decline in freight traffic by the mid-sixties, I would have expected a thirty year plus, non-standard brake van to have been withdrawn rather than be refettled for further use, even if limited.  All rather odd.

 

Thanks to everybody who responded to the post.

 

Regards

TMc

07/03/2024