Diagram 18 4-wheel 20ton Goods Brake Van, double ended

This is an unusual double ended design, only six of which were built. The body was 18ft long by 7ft 8½in wide on a 10ft wheelbase. It is believed that the design enabled the van to be used on short branchlines without the need to turn it every alternate journey. The dates of construction are not recorded but a surviving general arrangement drawing Earlestown no. 87, preserved as HMRS 1523 is dated 6.6.04. Despite this relatively late date the general design details have much in common with the 10ton D16 van which dates from at least as early as 1880. The 20ton tare weight was achieved by bolting cast iron blocks to the underframe.

It is just early enough to have carried the original diamonds only livery, but would have looked as in the photograph below for most of its working life. The six vehicles to this design are not identified separately from the other 1,160 off 20ton vans that existed in 1919.

The numbers carried by these vans were 126, 186, 197, 239, 467, 982 which indicate that all were built as revenue replacements and took their numbers from earlier vans which had been scrapped around 1904. As the photograph shows no. 982 was assigned to Clock Face and Springs Branch. Another photograph shows no. 197 lettered for use on the Crewe and Carlisle route. All should have passed to the LMS in 1923 but nothing more is known of their survival in LMS days.

This official photograph shows no. 982 after repainting in November 1911. A handbrake wheel was fitted to each verandah and lamps could be displayed at either end. Thus the van could operate in either direction without the need to be turned.

NRM, York. Earlestown no. 75

This shows the side elevation from drawing HMRS 1523. Note how both hand wheels operate the one brake mechanism to activate the clasp brakes on all four wheels.

HMRS Drawing no. 1523