Guards Brake Vans
| Build Date | 1881-1951 |
| Operators | Various |
| Livery | Various |
| Status: | In Service |
| Owned By |
Various |
Guards Brake Vans
Brake vans were the original vehicles in which guards travelled in, particularly in goods trains, and were in use on railways from their conception in the mid 1800’s until around the 1990’s. Their name comes from earlier days when many trains ran with un-braked wagons with only the locomotives brakes stopping the train.
One or more brake vans would typically be attached to the rear of the train and the guard would operate a handbrake at the rear to assist the braking power of the locomotive. There were many different designs and variations on the standard brake van, several of which are included in the NNR’s collection of four examples.
Preservation
12 is the oldest vehicle on the NNR (and one of only two 19th century wagons) being built in 1881 for the Eastern & Midlands Railway (later Midland & Great Northern). Strictly speaking the vehicle is not a brake van, rather a tool van, but it was used for the same function and is a fascinating survivor. Dedicated to the Melton Constable breakdown train, it lived adjacent to the turntable at Melton and was used sparingly, only emerging for breakdowns and emergencies.
It has a large tool box on one end in addition to its usual verandas and interior compartment, along with extensive tool lockers inside, all of which would have been used for equipment to assist in such breakdowns. The limited use contributed to the vehicle’s long service life and it would be 1945 before it was withdrawn.
12’s chassis was scrapped and the body sold to be used privately for many years at Thursford, Norfolk. As late as 2007 the body was purchased by the M&GN Society and moved to the NNR for full restoration. Part of this restoration involved remounting the body on a 1949 BR wagon chassis (740481) which was specially shortened to 12’s original length. This BR chassis also allowed vacuum brakes to be fitted to the vehicle for the first time, which allows it to carry passengers under current day regulations.
A new floor, veranda and toolbox were rebuilt to return the van to original condition. Some guesswork was required for the interior, but being a fairly simple vehicle it is thought to be fairly accurate. From the walls it appeared there were benches around the edge also there were screw holes for 12 coat hooks. Thus, benches were built around the edge for 12 people with the hand brake fitted in the centre. The hole in the roof for the stove gave away where the reproduction stove needed to be fitted!
Today, 12 is restored and in operational condition but due to its age it only sees occasional use at selected special events. On a day-to-day basis, the vehicle is one of the few wagons to be fully accessible to the public, as it is resident at the museum at Holt where visitors can usually visit the interior.
Unlike 12, 55167 is a traditional design brake van whose simple function was to act as the brake on the rear of freight train. It is built to a Southern Railway design, known as a “Pillbox”, but emerged in 1948 under British Railways, the year of nationalisation. 55167 is surprisingly heavy for its small size, having ballast weights underneath to bring its weight up to 25 tons, the heaviest brake van in the NNR’s collection.
After withdrawal 55167 came to the railway in 1973, owned by the NNR, and as the first brake van to be preserved here was very useful for works trains. It has been restored several times in the 50+ years the vehicle has been working here, the last time being in 2022. Today, 55167 takes its turn on the demonstration freight train at special events and is also used on other works duties, particularly in the winter. Regrettably it cannot work with passengers as the vehicle remains in original un-braked condition and only has its (staff operated) hand brake which does not meet current day regulation.
Similar to 55167, 950133 is also a traditional design brake van. It is built to a London Midland & Scottish design, built in 1949 under British Railways, the year after nationalisation. 950133 has ballast weights underneath to bring its weight up to 20 tons. It has the largest cabin size on the railway, and also has generous sized verandas at both ends.
After withdrawal 950133 was bought by the M&GN Society and came to the railway in 1996. It has been restored several times, the last time being in 2023. During the initial restoration, vacuum braking and the doorway handle bars were replaced by full doors. Both of these modifications allowed passengers to be carried on special occasions, with visitors making good use of the large sized verandas and cabin. It is these same attributes that also made 950133 the preferred brake van for winter works trains.
Today, 950133 takes its turn on the demonstration freight train at special events and is also extensively used on other works duties, particularly in the winter. There are also special occasions where 950133 offers passenger rides and as a result remains a popular vehicle.
993707 is the youngest brake van on the railway, being built as late as 1951 for British Railways, to an LMS design, by contractors R Y Pickering! It is also a non-conventional brake, as the 16T ballast weights and guards hand brake are supplemented by two large ballast ploughs, which look like snow ploughs in appearance.
993707 is therefore a “ballast plough brake van” and it was built exclusively for works trains involved in track replacement. Freshly dropped stone ballast between the rails would be spread into a more even shape by the ploughs (when lowered) when the vehicle was gently pulled along freshly laid track. A standard cabin and verandas also allowed 993707 to act as a normal brakevan for the ballast trains travelling to and from worksites.
993707 was withdrawn in 1996 and is the only brakevan on the NNR to have come from another railway. 993707 was first preserved at the Churnet Valley Railway where it was restored twice and used on a handful of works trains, before the (private) owner relocated to Norfolk and brought the vehicle to the NNR in an already restored state in 2019. The vehicle now no longer ploughs ballast but does take its turn on the demonstration freight train at special events. Its lack of vacuum brakes and small cabin size means it is not favoured for works trains and cannot undertake passenger rides.
| Number | Type | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 10T Midland & Great Northern Tool Van | 1884 Birmingham RC&W | Usually at Holt museum |
| 55167 | 25T Southern Railway “Pillbox” Brake Van | 1948 Ashford | |
| B950133 | 20T London Midland & Scottish Brake Van | 1949 Derby | |
| DB993707 | 16T LMS “Oyster” Ballast Plough Brake Van | 1951 R Y Pickering |
