Diagram 94 4-wheel 15ton Goods Brake Van, Hand & Vacuum Brake, with ogee

The last of the three 15ton vacuum fitted Goods Brake van designs, the D94 van, was introduced in 1907 when a single van, no. 388 was built. The photograph below shows it after a repaint in October 1909. The design details are recorded in Earlestown drawing no. 802 dated 24.4.06 and preserved as HMRS Drawing No.1526. The most obvious difference is the addition of a side lookout or ogee seat to enable the guard a view along the length of his train without putting his head outside. Not surprisingly the design otherwise had much in common with the other 15ton vans built in the 1905-7 period. The length, 20ft, and the 12ft wheelbase, are identical to those of D93 but the width was increased to 8ft 6in on account of the ogee seats projections.

The photograph shows the post 1908 livery with both the diamonds and the 16in high letters LNWR. The van is assigned to the London & Manchester route which at the time would have included the banana traffic which reached Manchester down the Ship Canal. It was only after 1912 that this traffic transferred to the newly open Garston docks at Liverpool.

Four more vans to this design were built in 1913 on renewal account. They took the numbers of the condemned vans they replaced, viz: 259, 279, 451, 938. All five of the vans passed to the LMS in 1923 and records show that all were withdrawn before 1948. Nothing is known of their work during LMS days or the actual date on which they were broken up.

This official photograph of D94 van no. 388, believed to be the prototype, was taken in October 1909. No other photographs of this type are known. It was assigned to the London & Manchester route, which would have included the Banana traffic from Manchester Docks to Covent Garden market since it was not until 1912 that the Elders and Fyffe's banana boats transferred to Garston docks at Liverpool.

NRM Earlestown collection no. 73

This side elevation view, taken from a drawing dated 24.04.06, shows details of the central ogee seat. The end elevation, not shown here, details the glazed window 1ft 5in tall by 4in in on each side of the projection which allowed the guard to visually check each side of his train without leaving the safety of his cabin. This feature was also included in the standard 20ton D17B design.

HMRS drawing no. 1526