Dia. AA20 'Toad' Brake Van

[rapidoandy]

It was required by law that all goods trains had to have a brake van at the rear and the Great Western Railway settled upon a design that was as recognisable as its locomotives. The first ‘van with the single ended veranda and large, enclosed body for the use of the guard appeared circa 1871 and variants based on this configuration continued to be built into the 1950s.

 

 

 

The GWR allocated telegraphic codes to its goods vehicles and brake vans were dubbed ‘Toad’. Consequently, this name is how both railwaymen and enthusiasts referred to these vehicles.

 

Internally, the vans feature a desk, seating, storage lockers for equipment and a stove for keeping warm. Internal lighting was not provided. Sand boxes and sanders were fitted to both ends of the vans to aid with braking whilst the handbrake was fitted externally on the veranda along with the levers for operating the sanders. Full length footboards and handrails allowed the guard stand on the side of the vehicle during shunting operations.

 

 

The GWR allocated diagram numbers in the ‘AA’ series to 23 versions of post-1888 built ‘Toads’. Our model depicts the ‘AA20’, which was introduced in 1934.

 

Our AA20 brake van has been designed using works drawings and includes a number of different optional parts to allow for variations within the design including different roof rain strips, different height footboards and different wheelsets. The model includes a full interior alongside a removable roof.

 

 

 

The requirement for brake vans ended in 1968 but that didn’t mean the end of the ‘Toads’. Many lasted into Departmental and even industrial use and a large number of ‘Toads’, including several ‘AA20s’, have been preserved.

 

 

 

As is usual with Rapido you can order your 'Toad' direct from us or from any Official Retailer. RRP for each model is £39.95.

Edited March 31, 2022 by rapidoandy

[Miss Prism]

Some Toads did have chamfers on the top of their side stanchions, but I don't think AA20s did.

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Miss Prism
added another AA15 to the picture

[WishIHadAName]

Whens the likely release of these?

[Miss Prism]

You seem to have combined the J-hanger and swing-link spring designs into a new hybrid version - ingenious, but not right.

 

The bit behind the swing link should be vertical to the underside of the solebar, i.e. not shaped like a J-hanger.

 

 

[rapidoandy]

The drawing we had showed this...

[rapidoandy]

Regarding the chamfers - the drawings I have show them, and they can be seen on the AA19 and AA 21 vans. However it seem some may have been built with and without - I would love a definitive answer!

Edited February 25, 2022 by rapidoandy

[Miss Prism]

114814  (the 'other' Titfield toad) was an AA19.

 

I did record the film the other day, so maybe I should re-look to see if I can spot it, but I think most of the footage features 68740?

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Miss Prism
AA19 number typo

[rapidoandy]

I agree - I'm just intrigued why the AA19 and 21 have chamfers and some of the AA20 doesn't.

 

Most of the footage is 68740. 11481 was used in some "far away" shots.

[The Stationmaster]

All in all an excellent job Andy with those few possible detail items from Miss P to check out - as I'm sure you will.

 

A couple of things for your information - 'Toad' was the standard telegraphic code word for an unfitted freight (aka 'goods') brakevan;  I don't know if it had originated solely on the GEWR or if o it was standardised through the RCH but it was very definitely 'the standard' in the 1958 Telegraphic Code Book published by the BTC.  GWR style brakevans were banned from use in normal traffic from a date sometime in i965 (I', m still y trying to pin down the exact date.   A number of fitted brakevans remained in traffic use in the London Division solely for the purpose if forming a fitted head on various freight working - they were almost an everyday feast on the morning Acton - Slough service and its return working although I don't know if they were AA20s (and I doubt than anybody else knows either!).

 

Do you yet have any other running numbers in mind please - not that renumbering etc is a chore but I wondered ifI am going to have the choice of buying some with different numbers etc or will just have to renumber etc W68740?

[rapidoandy]

The releases will be:

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Thank you kind sir.  Now to see if Salop. Hereford. or Pontypool Road had any AA20s. (But the worcester one could easily have been swiped  so that will definitely be on my list anyway)

[gwrrob]

Shouldn't the small lettered GW versions have grey rooves .

[rapidoandy]

17 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

Shouldn't the small lettered GW versions have grey rooves .

If you can find a definitive answer I’d be grateful.

[hmrspaul]

Second time today looking through tranches of my photos. Just a couple are suitable to show use of some of these vans, but there are plenty more at https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrbrakevan  Although as mentioned their use for revenue trains ceased some time in the mid 1960s they seemed to be popular with the engineers - perhaps the van section was bigger or better built? So they spread across much of the system - the ER seemed to have liked them! 

 

918010 ZXO Toad Brake van in Engineers yellow - DW17244 York Leeman Road Feb 1988 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrbrakevan/e2d60c88b [I have the same van in a very nice olive green in April 1976 at Yeovil Pen Mill and several more as this deteriorated in Bristol and Hitchin].

 

918009 GWR Dia. AA20 Toad brake van in BR Departmental grey - DW17247 Swindon Works May 1979 - written for SLOUGH  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrbrakevan/e2861149a  & a long way from Slough at Exeter Riverside Sept. 1981 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrbrakevan/e361af2fe

 

Paul

[gwrrob]

23 minutes ago, rapidoandy said:

If you can find a definitive answer I’d be grateful.

 

I was thinking that as about half of this diagram were outshopped during WW2 they may have gained a grey roof for camouflage against the Luftwaffe.

 

http://www.gwr.org.uk/nobrakes.html

[Brinkly]

I'm very pleased these will be available as stand-alone models. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick.

[57xx]

Will you be tweaking the axleboxes from those shown in the renders?

[Tankerman]

Given the superb standard of this model and knowing the enormous depth of knowledge on here I'm hoping that someone will know if any AA20 brake vans were allocated to Truro in the 1950's/early 1960's. I can also see a market opportunity for the transfer makers in producing, either as ready purchase or to order, a variety of 'RU' locations for these vans.

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, Tankerman said:

Given the superb standard of this model and knowing the enormous depth of knowledge on here I'm hoping that someone will know if any AA20 brake vans were allocated to Truro in the 1950's/early 1960's. I can also see a market opportunity for the transfer makers in producing, either as ready purchase or to order, a variety of 'RU' locations for these vans.

CCT have range, as do Railtec. Railtec also to names to order at £1.50.

[RightOnTrack]

Personally I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a Newton Abbot version! 

[Mol_PMB]

On 25/02/2022 at 17:38, hmrspaul said:

 Although as mentioned their use for revenue trains ceased some time in the mid 1960s they seemed to be popular with the engineers - perhaps the van section was bigger or better built? So they spread across much of the system - the ER seemed to have liked them! 

 

Paul

 

On my own parish, the MSC Railway found no use for them as brake vans but bought several for use as breakdown/rerailing vans. The van part provided a spacious mobile mess-room and store for smaller items, while heavy jacks, timber packing, sleepers etc could be securely loaded on the balcony part and unloaded fairly easily through the side doors. 

 

I suspect BR engineers also liked this combination of features for the same reasons. 

[The Stationmaster]

29 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

On my own parish, the MSC Railway found no use for them as brake vans but bought several for use as breakdown/rerailing vans. The van part provided a spacious mobile mess-room and store for smaller items, while heavy jacks, timber packing, sleepers etc could be securely loaded on the balcony part and unloaded fairly easily through the side doors. 

 

I suspect BR engineers also liked this combination of features for the same reasons. 

All the Guards I knew who worked in them liked them - very strongly preferred over the ever draughty BR standard pattern van.  As I've recounted before back in the mid 1970s I had occasion to 'have a few words' with one of my Guards after I saw a train arriving back from Bristol East Depot one morning with a Western pattern van on the back.  He came up with an excellent story about going out light engine and having to find a brakevan for the back working and 'the only one he could find' happened to be an Engineers' GWR pattern van that was standing in East Depot yard so he had no choice but to use it or cancel the train, and it was all Engineer's traffic on the train anyway.  When I pointed out to him that I could still see the frost on the ground as clearly as he could so I knew exactly why he had swiped it all I got was a conspiratorial smile.

 

He was a great bloke, and a good practical railwayman of the old school, but I do wonder if he got rather fed up with me occasionally happening to see a train he was working arriving back in the yard followed by a call to the Yard Chargeman etc to tell him to visit me in the office before he booked-off?

[Bulwell Hall]

On 25/02/2022 at 17:19, gwrrob said:

Shouldn't the small lettered GW versions have grey rooves .

 

Not necessarily.  The small 4" GW lettering came in '1936 into 1937' according to Tourret so any van painted between that date and WW2 would have had a white roof.  Tourret doesn't give anything definitive about a change from white to grey roofs once WW2 started but that does seem to be what happened.  He does however mention how white roofs soon became sooty black.  One thing I have noticed after much perusal of photographs of yard scenes etc is how long white roofs on brake vans seem to have lasted.

 

But I would suggest that the end angles on roofs were not painted grey as shown on the Rapido livery artwork for the forthcoming models - at least not the horizontal angle - and this should be amended.  Otherwise the models look very nice indeed and I have no hesitation in placing two on order - I especially like the East Depot version.

 

Gerry

[Not Jeremy]

It looks absolutely superb - well done!

 

As far as the spring hangers go, I modelled them exactly as you have done when I built "my" W68740, so if you are wrong then so am I!

 

 

I was working from the Toad that is at Bristol Industrial museum, which I think I thought was an AA20

 

Either way I will not be losing any sleep over it, nor do I think should you.

[David Stannard]

With 68777 and 68784 they are both from Lot 1277 which was built between 1938 and 1939, they are from the 1939 portion of the build, shouldn't they have the 5" GW as they would have more than likely received the post 1936 livery when built.

Edited February 27, 2022 by David Stannard