The LNER Encyclopedia

Can anyone give me advice on Parcel Vans? I would like to complete a rake suitable for the almost finished parcel/goods siding of the terminal station. Era 1930/40's. My preference is for 'improving' RTR vehicles, and i know of the LMS/Southern 50ft vans available. Are they suitable for conversion? They are going quite cheaply at the moment. My small library of LNER books is not helpful at all.

Now you've hit on one of our favourite topics, collectively. I seem to be here to give my two penn'orth first but I don't expect you'll be short of advice.

I don't know how common inter-company parcels/sundries traffic was, other than some very specific examples which have been discussed on here, so let's stay LNER. I'm also assuming you're pre-Thompson.

RTR you have the upcoming Hornby Gresley full brakes, corridor and non-corridor. Off the top of my head I think that's all there is.

Kitbuilt, in plastic you have the Parkside long wheelbase CCT and Roger Chivers' BY. Coopercraft also do the Kirk kits for the corridor and non-corridor full brakes.

In brass you're rather spoilt for choice - D & S have just rerun their GNR NPCCS and are going to do NER vehicles later in the year; Five79 do some NER CCTs as does John Fozard and Bill Bedford offers a large range to order. There have been others which come up on Ebay from time to time.

If you can tackle brass kits you can make a really interesting train or two with some real antiques on show - lots of character but with the bonus that (unlike a passenger coach) you don't have to make an interior. Have a look through my workbench and especially Mick Bs for some examples.

Jonathan has covered most of the ground and to add to that the simple answer is that most anything goes, depending on your location and period.

Carriage Working Programmes show the make-up of trains, including those comprised mainly or only of parcels vans. Those on the more important routes could readily include vans from all 4 companies and also a mixture of pre-Grouping company vans.

For example a working from Leeds or York (down) may well incorporate traffic from the south-west (combined at Bristol) of GW vans, across from Manchester of LMS vans, from the south (often via the GC lines) of SR vans, plus maybe a former GE van or two from Stratford or Harwich or wherever. If going to Scotland, former NB or even GNoS vans might also appear. The up working would arrive with similar vans which would then go their separate ways.

The other principal reason for 'foreign' vans would be specific traffic originating or arriving at your location that travelled by parcels van, from a place off the LNER.

Parcels vans tended to have longer working lives than passenger carriages too, and the use of 4- and 6-wheel vans was not uncommon.

Going off topic a bit but I do remember the Red Bank empty stock train always had a couple of shorter vehicles at the front collected from, I believe, Stockton. Intially a pair of LMS Stove Rs till about 1980, then a pair of Southern PMVs till the end of the service. They had to have Guard's accommodation because they were tripped from Newcastle both ways.

Thanks very much for most useful information. I like the idea of being able to use different groupings parcel vans on the LNER. One thing has been cleared up for me. I remember from my youth seeing different coloured vans whilst train spotting at Doncaster or Newark, and I thought my memory must be wrong. Nice that it has not collapsed completely. Time for more searches on the web. Once again thank you.

If i can remember green passenger vehicles crossing the Royal Border Bridge circa 1968 hauled by a D67xx there is nowt wrong with your memory.

At the end of passenger services on the Woodhead route ('69ish?) there seems to be an awful lot of green BSKs around...

Just a heads-up that Matt Chivers, son of Roger and trading as Five 79 is running a special offer on NER bogie CCTs.

Mick B has built at least one of these illustrated on this forum and modesty prevents me pointing out who built one of the ones on the Five 79 website.