Van withdrawal date ( vent vans, fruit vans, banana vans )

[SGJ]

I have recently acquired some Dapol and Bahmann vans and was wondering what years they were withdrawn from BR Service

the vans are Banana van

Fruit Mex van ( also what is MEX )

Fruit D (also what did the D mean )

Plywood Fruit Van

and Vent vans

Regards

SGJ

 

 

 

[Castle]

Hi SGJ,

 

I don't know about the BR stuff but the Ex GWR FRUIT D I can help with. There were a whole range of wagons that came under the FRUIT classification. They were built under the Diagram code Y and 81E has several examples from throughout the Diagram.

 

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/47886/47886.html

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/105599/105599.html

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/2862/2862.html

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/2913/2913.html

 

The letter after the code is just so they can tell them appart! Different sizes of wagon in the GWR wagon index tend to have (but not always) different end letters. As you can see, the FRUIT wagons at Didcot range from and 1892 example thought to the FRUIT D that was built in 1941. Several of these later wagons went on well into the 1970s at least as can be observed by the livery your model is in.

 

Have a look at this website for interesting information about preserved rolling stock:

 

http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/surveystatus.asp

 

And, if you haven't seen it already, Paul Bartlett (the ever helpful HMRS Paul of this parish) has an outstandingly useful website on wagons here:

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/

 

I hope this helps!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[buffalo]

...

Fruit Mex van ( also what is MEX )

...

I can't help with the withdrawal dates, but MEX was the GWR telegraphic code for a cattle wagon. In this case, diagram W10, built in 1923-5. In 1938, 130 of these were converted to fruit vans (FRUIT A, diagram Y10) by boarding over the the upper sides and fitting full height doors.

 

Nick

[SGJ]

I can't help with the withdrawal dates, but MEX was the GWR telegraphic code for a cattle wagon. In this case, diagram W10, built in 1923-5. In 1938, 130 of these were converted to fruit vans (FRUIT A, diagram Y10) by boarding over the the upper sides and fitting full height doors.

 

Nick

I can see the similarity in the Dapol model ( http://www.ehattons.com/images/products/B501a_26482_Qty1_1.jpg  - hattons site)

with the diaganol and vertical body strengtheners / metal straps

SGJ

[Rivercider]

The last van B768103 could possibly have lasted until about 1980 carrying fertilizer or seasonal beet pulp nuts for animal feed,

though your example does not have a TOPS code on it which would have been applied from 1973(ish)

 

cheers

[SGJ]

The last van B768103 could possibly have lasted until about 1980 carrying fertilizer or seasonal beet pulp nuts for animal feed,

though your example does not have a TOPS code on it which would have been applied from 1973(ish)

 

cheers

Hi Rivercider, Great to hear from you !

I will buy a few more of them then, I have also bought the Bachmann coal wagons !

4 fitted and 2 unfitted

and am getting a plan of what to do next 

SGJ

[Fat Controller]

There were still 'Fruit D's in revenue use on the Barnstaple- Exeter line in 1975; I don't believe they worked beyond Exeter on the main-line by then.

 

Ex Banana Vans were being used as a fitted head/barrier wagons on sand trains in North Staffs in the early 1980s.

 

Ordinary 'Vanfits' were being used for seasonal traffic, such as fertiliser, until the late 1970s- a decade or less earlier, such trains would have had all manner of 'antiques', such as pre-Nationalisation and ex-special vans in them. My 'best spot' was an Insulated Meat Van heading west from Llanelli in about 1972; it still had light blue, or possibly white, paint showing through the grime.

 

The former cattle van was a type that might have been found, up till the late 1960s, branded 'ALE' and lettered 'Empty to Park Royal'- I think all such vehicles were ex-GW, rather than BR-built, however.

[buffalo]

...The former cattle van was a type that might have been found, up till the late 1960s, branded 'ALE' and lettered 'Empty to Park Royal'- I think all such vehicles were ex-GW, rather than BR-built, however.

Yes, though not to be confused with the W10 to Y10 Fruit conversion mentioned above. These Ale wagons were also produced in 1939 but used the much older W1 cattle wagons that were 'converted' to V30. The change was little more than rebranding as they retained the open tops and the cattle wagon style doors. The only real modification AFAIK was fitting of the later style ends to replace the original X-brace form, though this may have been done to many before 1939. See also this topic.

 

Nick

[SM42]

The banana van was built c 1959 and lasted well into the late 70s and early 80s, if not longer, albeit not in banana traffic. In later years they were in departmental use or being used as barrier wagons.

 

The only things that let the model down (apart from the underframe) are: the bodyside has been filled in flush on the bottom left corner and the roof ribs seem a little chunky. . If you can live with these then it is a reasonable model of the prototype.

 

A relatively simple improvement if you feel so inclined is to install a Red Panda underframe kit.

 

Looking at the numbers on your wagons, I'd say they are all in a style consistent with the  mid 60s

 

Andy

[SGJ]

The banana van was built c 1959 and lasted well into the late 70s and early 80s, if not longer, albeit not in banana traffic. In later years they were in departmental use or being used as barrier wagons.

 

The only things that let the model down (apart from the underframe) are: the bodyside has been filled in flush on the bottom left corner and the roof ribs seem a little chunky. . If you can live with these then it is a reasonable model of the prototype.

 

A relatively simple improvement if you feel so inclined is to install a Red Panda underframe kit.

 

Looking at the numbers on your wagons, I'd say they are all in a style consistent with the  mid 60s

 

Andy

Hi, and thanks for being able to put a date for the wagons,

I am a bit disheartened as I was wanting to be heading for 1980 - 82, my era of choice, I was / am going to be modelling a simple ( not the best choice of word ) layout featuring a goods shed, coal depot, and small station

http://www.midland-road.co.uk/wpimages/wp60acaa88_05_1a.jpg

I was wanting the locos all to be DCC Sound on the layout, I have two layouts in the pipeline one being a fairly accurate model of a modern depot ( midland road ), and another as a what if layout although wanting to be running stock close to what could have been, so I think maybe running VDA and VEA type air brake stock for the Goods shed.

I will maybe re think the project through.

Thanks for the replies

SGJ

[SM42]

All is not lost

 

BR vacuum braked and unfitted wagons had a remarkable life span and indeed there is a picture of a van similar to B768103 on the front of British Railways Vans Vol 2 by G Gamble taken at Bescot in 1980 and it is numbered in post 1965 style. No TOPS code

 

The only thing needed (unless you can live with it) is an update on the numbering.

 

The Banana can be used for departmental traffic if you have any (the above book shows one at Rotherham awaiting scrapping in 1987)

 

B833340 and the Fruit D may be more of a challenge for your time period. (Friut D could be used as an internal user at the back of a TMD) The BR Fruit I'm not so sure about.

 

The 16t coal were also quite common still.

 

On the VEA front I believe these were being converted from Vanwides (by updating the suspension) around 1978 / 79 onwards and I think, but can't be sure, they were used predominantly for MOD traffic.

The longer wheel base vans were a product of the mid 70s

 

The late 70s and early 80s were a golden age for wagons in my opinion with lots of new types being built and older types still being in use. TOPS codes were quite common (well almost  everywhere)  by then though

 

 

Andy