Brakevans

After having a little discussion on specific brakevans for specific trains [see the discussion on the Windcutter Wagons page], I have began to notice certain things.

LMS 20T's on trains in County Durham.
SR Pillboxes on trains in Cumbria.
Toads on trains in Lancashire.

So I just thought I would set up a specific chat on the subject of brakevans.

 

Well to add to this thread here is my brakevan - an ex NE 20t BR std


and some of the work that has been done over the years

 

Do Sharks count as well?

And I don't mean things that have teeth and swim.

 

Get the impression that some designs gravitated to certain duties.... Surprised that Queen Mary's didnt end up on the Aberdeen Fish...
On a general point about Brake vans, how crash worthy were they? was this something factored into the design ? iirc GW Toads were felt to be lacking in this respect...?

 

Crash worthiness. I saw the remains at a colliery. It was supposed to be left on the incline siding ( what is the official name of these short sidings for brake vans?), but driver/ shunter miss communicated. Driver thought he was pushing the empties into a normal siding. So it went up the slope, through the buffer stop and down the steep drop the other side. And a couple of empty MCVs ran over it. Just a chassis and firewood left.

 

Van Kip.

 

In 2021 there was some talk of possible recovery but the abandoned Shark at Shenfield is, I believe, still there.
https://national-preservation.com/threads/shenfield-shark-ballast-plough.1420213/#post-2701016

 

Another version was a train of hoppers setting back into a deadend siding in Tees yard in the 90's
The shunter forgot the Tamper was stabled in there and shoved it partway across the bank towards the Tees.

 

I recall one in Willesden Brent sidings. Train of six 102tonne scrap carrying opens (Sheerness Blues) setting back into group two. Except that they were signalled into group three.
Full length empty road in group two.
Short dead-end (25rd) set in group three.
Made worse by the first wagon in 25rd being a loaded chlorine tank wagon.

 

JOOI, do brake vans get much of a work out on preserved lines? Clearly you need one for emergencies etc, but are they used as they were in past times on loose-coupled freights to manually keep the couplings tight?

 

A pretend branch line freight must have a brake van to be authentic for the fotos, and at times 2 or 3 add to the effect.

 

One to ask @big.stu I'd say, given the NVR freight charters.

 

I'm sure I've seen a video showing goods guards on the GCR doing it, although I did wonder how necessary it was on a line that flat! I had a little go once on our toad at the back of our partially fitted set but all I succeeded in doing was adjusting the volume...

 

On partially fitted/unfitted trains at the WSR we use the handbrake on the brakevan to keep the couplings tight. Still doing the job they were built for back in the day, just not as often!

 

They're handy for p.way gangs use while working 'down the line'. Having a roof and a working stove is much appreciated at times!

 

did you manage to turn it up to 11?

 

Our 25 ton Queen Mary gets quite a lot of service use quite apart from on demonstration trains; for example, it was in use every day during SteamLights as a convenient vehicle for the train that went out in the afternoon to set things up.

It also gets used when we run demonstration goods trains - either as part of a short "fitted" rake for brake van rides; or with an "unfitted" rake for whole line trips. When your gradients are 1 in 60 and the train is entirely unfitted, it performs the role it was designed for!

I think our wagon group have getting one of the SECR 20 ton Dance Halls on their radar so we have a suitable pre-grouping vehicle as well as an SR one.

Tom

 

For those who want to know how to work a brake van this thread makes interesting reading

Except for @flying scotsman123 who due to his still tender years should stay well away

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/178046-confessions-of-a-canton-goods-guard/#comment-5116776

 

LT Museum've recently sent two brake vans to Rampart for restoration, ready for a new role as match-wagons for moving their Q-Stock train around.
London Transport Museum Friends (ltmuseumfriends.co.uk)

 

Swanage used a Queen Mary bogie van to carry twin generators for it's Train of Lights operations.
Generally it has a brake van on each end of its Steam Gala demonstration goods trains which perform the tasks they were designed for.
One of the QM's was also main line ticketed to enable it to be hauled to Eastleigh 100, in May 2009, as part of the visiting rake of locos/vehicles.