The LNER Encyclopedia

A couple of years ago, Kernow Model Centre made an exclusive run of London and South Western Railway 'road vans', which are pieces of rolling stock that combined both a guard's van and a regular covered van for low-traffic branchlines.

Did any other railway, in particular any of the constituents of the LNER, use stock like that?

There's a photograph and a drawing in the Tatlow single volume 'LNER wagons' book, of a Great North of Scotland Rly. van which is decribed as a goods brake van; it looks suspiciously like a 'road van' with double doors in the van side and no open veranda. Those more knowledgeable might further advise.

A large subject!
The NER made extensive of Road Vans with several purpose built vehicles.
I am away from home at the moment. When I'm back with my library I can post more.

One point worth knowing is that the the NER used 'Road Vans' and 'Tranship Vans' and these are not the same.

If you google 'NER Road Vans' you will/may find articles on this forum that should be of interest.

I have a feeling that I've read, fairly recently, that what the LNER as a group regarded as "road vans" (or even road wagons) were not necessarily brake vehicles at all. Instead, They were simply a vehicle that ran regularly in the general goods train on a particular route to carry the consignments of goods that were less than minimum quantity that would qualify them for allocation of a "through" wagon/van" for just that one load. The small loads would be picked-up / set down at individual stations if the vehicle was in the local pick-up goods. For journeys beyond that the loads would be transferred to "road" vehicles in other trains at a tranship station. Slow progress, a lot of handling, and much risk of "shrinkage" or total loss cross my mind as probable consequences...

The NER used "Road Vans" simply a long wheelbase van. They were passed over to the LNER at the grouping , I have never seen a LNER photo of one.

Tony Atkins' books on GW goods services reveal just how extensive was their use of such vehicles to reduce handling and transhipment and excited my interest in other railways' possible use of similar methods, but I haven't got very far due to a spell of ill-health.

The North Eastern Railway Association publishes an inexpensive reprint of the NER "List of Road Wagons and Regular Through Wagons", dated 1st March 1917, some of which ran through to GN destinations.

I have an LNER era copy of the NE Area 'Road Vans' book.

It will be copied eventually, but is not top of the list just yet.

John

One (or even several) "road van"-style items that come to mind are some of the vehicles used on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway, I believe a GER 4 wheel "passenger brake" was one such example.

Not built for that use, but certainly carried a brake compartment and goods in later life.

Having already mentioned Tatlow's useful wagon survey, while looking for something completely different in volume 1: in the usual way what should I chance to see on p99 but a GNR 'Tranship' design? These were extinct by 1940 according to the text, so a neat looking model for pre war LNER.

(One of the GN period photos has a description painted on the vehicle 'Goods Break'(sic), at that time an acceptable alternative spelling for 'brake'. Go on, someone model that and wind up the typically unchallenged orthographers among our interest group.)