GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station - Grouping Period Rolling Stock: gwrbsh1781

In the New Yard Sidings at Snow Hill in 1947 is forty foot Parcel Brake Van (PBV) No 1121 to diagram K15, which was built in January 1904 as part of lot 1048. Designed for the dual purpose of providing a vacuum brake van and to accommodate passenger's luggage, the PBV main use evolved into a brake van on special ‘brown’ vehicle express services (e.g. trains for milk, fish, horses, parcels, newspapers, etc.). This particular van had a central guard's compartment and two large luggage compartments on either side. The two luggage compartments both had end gangways and two sets of double doors with commode style handles on each side. The van had decorative wooden moulded panels, which were similar to the coach stock built at the same time, but the flat steel panel in the centre, indicates where the original guard's lookout projection has been removed. The flattish roof profile is termed a three centre type and this has a large number of roof ventilators. The van is carried on Dean eight foot, six inch bogies.

The connected vehicle is a fifty foot long, inside framed, vertical planked, vacuum fitted Siphon G van to diagram O33. The first of these were built in 1930. Siphons were initially designed to carry milk churn traffic, but the availability of a large ventilated compartment with collapsible racking, made them versatile and suitable for a range of traffic (especially parcels and newspapers). In the foreground is a power operated triple dwarf ground signal and the cast iron covers of one of the point switch motors.

This photograph is displayed courtesy of the HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society) and copies can be ordered directly from them using the link HERE, quoting reference AEL406.

Robert Ferris

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