Full brake coach

[Newportnobby]

I'm a great fan of parcels trains and 'holiday specials' which are likely to carry lots of baggage so one or maybe two in the passenger trains and a bigger variety of vans for parcels

[geofff]

In Nobby's model world do you run Brake coaches with the 4-wheel short wheelbase box vans? Steve Banks seems to have a lot of photos with what he calls "Vanfit" running with Brake Coaches. I seem to remember that you had a similar post exchange with Chris Morris a while ago.

[martyn]

On James St we run BGs as part of a passenger train, as the guard's accommodation on parcels, and with 12T vans and other NPCCS such as GUVs, BYs, CCTs, and BZs as parcels trains. Likewise on my home layout.

Dave/southerngooner and I have used photos of the real trains  as references for their use. The use of fitted 12T vans as part of parcels trains seems to have been quite common, especially at times of peak demand such as Christmas. I'm not sure if letter mail was carried on such trains (probably not) but general parcel traffic was. I don't know if the parcels were BR's own traffic, contract third party (such as the mail order catalogues of the time) or Royal Mail.

Martyn

[Newportnobby]

In Nobby's model world do you run Brake coaches with the 4-wheel short wheelbase box vans? Steve Banks seems to have a lot of photos with what he calls "Vanfit" running with Brake Coaches. I seem to remember that you had a similar post exchange with Chris Morris a while ago.

My parcels trains will contain BG, CCT PMV, GUV, VanB, Siphons, FruitDs and 12T vans - mostly superbly weathered by MK1GTStu of this parish
I'm also waiting for the NGS Ferryvans to be confirmed date wise

[Steven B]

I'm also waiting for the NGS Ferryvans to be confirmed date wise

The Ferry vans (VIX) being modelled by the NGS were built between 1962 and 1964. I've never seen a photo of one in parcels use.

BY and BZ had spaces for the guard to sit, so strictly no need for a BG if you have one of these in the train.
BY = four wheel van, e.g. Dapol's Maunsell brake van
BZ = six wheel, e.g. NGS Stove R

There's some lovely period photos of parcels trains on this site:
https://www.steve-banks.org/prototype-and-traffic/167-parcels-traffic-in-br-days

What's interesting is the Mk1 BG was usually outnumbered by vanfit and pre-nationalisation BG.

Steven B.

[martyn]

Another use for BGs was guard's accommodation on fully fitted trains of milk tanks. The BG was not necessarily the last vehicle in the rake. I have at least one, and I think more, photos of this happening. I've put the reference in the 'Milk Tank' threads somewhere on the forum.

In LNER days, at least some ECML fish trains had passenger brake vans for the guard, as the ride was considered too hard in a 4wheel goods brake; I don't know if these were BGs or other passenger brakes. I've only seen this written in a book, no photos, as most of the Fish trains ran overnight and presumably didn't get photographed too often.

Regarding Steven B's post #19; I have photos of stock from all big 4 plus BR in the same train (somewhere!).

Martyn

[Newportnobby]

I'm also waiting for the NGS Ferryvans to be confirmed date wise

The Ferry vans (VIX) being modelled by the NGS were built between 1962 and 1964. I've never seen a photo of one in parcels use.

I stand corrected, so mine will be used on cross country boat trains and engineers rakes.
That should do it.

[Bingley Hall]

On James St we run BGs as part of a passenger train, as the guard's accommodation on parcels, and with 12T vans and other NPCCS such as GUVs, BYs, CCTs, and BZs as parcels trains. Likewise on my home layout.

Dave/southerngooner and I have used photos of the real trains  as references for their use. The use of fitted 12T vans as part of parcels trains seems to have been quite common, especially at times of peak demand such as Christmas. I'm not sure if letter mail was carried on such trains (probably not) but general parcel traffic was. I don't know if the parcels were BR's own traffic, contract third party (such as the mail order catalogues of the time) or Royal Mail.

Martyn

Drifting off thread slightly, but a few 12T vans in parcels use can be seen in the background of this shot of mine taken at Paddington in November 1974

47264 at Paddington by Bingley Hall, on Flickr