Diagram 17 6-wheel 20ton Goods Brake Van

As mentioned above, this 6-wheel design was introduced in 1894 and its constructional details can be seen in the drawing and photograph shown below. The body was 18ft long over headstocks and 7ft 7in. wide outside. The three pairs of wheels were equally spaced over a 10ft wheelbase. The 20 ton tare weight was achieved by loading scrap iron into a false floor. The external appearance was not unlike the smaller D16 vans except for the extra set of wheels and the additional 2ft in length. The pre-1908 livery would have been the same as that described for the D16 vehicles above. Those repainted after 1908 would have carried the diamonds and the 16in high letters LNWR, and after about 1914 the diamonds would have been omitted all together.

They were built concurrently with the D16, 10 ton design between 1894 and 1901. But, after 1901 only the D17 vans were built as the sole standard type. Unfortunately, the surviving records do not specify how long this situation continued, but the best guess is until the end of 1909. From the available evidence the 6-wheel D17 vans built on capital account from 1894 to 1909 inclusive could have carried register numbers anywhere between 1426 and 1690, while the renewed vans would have carried the lower numbers which they had inherited from the condemned D16 vans which they replaced. From photographic and other records the following numbers are known to have been carried by D17 vans from 1894 onwards 154, 693, 740, 813, 1512, 1522, 1528, 1660, & 1663.

This 1909 official photograph of a 6-wheel 20ton Goods Brake van to Diagram 17 shows No. 1660 which was assigned to the Buxton area. There are many constructional similarities with the Diagram 16 van shown in the photograph above. The livery is the post 1908 style which is consistent with the 1909 paint date shown to the left of the solebar.

NRM/ETN 72

This drawing shows a Diagram 17 Goods Brake Van in the same condition as the one in the photograph above. All six wheels are fitted with clasp brakes manually operated by a hand-wheel on the veranda The overall style of construction has much in common with the 4-wheeled 10 ton Diagram 16 vehicle.

Locomotive Magazine September 1904