GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station - Grouping Period Rolling Stock: gwrbsh1797

Great Western Railway seventy foot long, Ocean Mail (Post Office Stowage) Van No 1202 waits in Snow Hill bay platform No 10 in 1947. Six of these huge vans were completed to diagram M15, under lot 1185, in October 1910. They were built to the limits of the loading gauge and had six-wheeled bogies. The running numbers were 1201 to 1206, with the first and last of these designated luggage vans. These two had electric lighting and no internal partitions. The other four were fitted with hinged partitions and were designed for the prestigious ‘Ocean Mail’ traffic, transporting inter-continental mail to London from the Atlantic Liners, which transhipped this at Plymouth, Avonmouth and Fishguard. The Ocean mail traffic peaked in 1913, when 26 million letters were handled. In that year there were 2,300 bags from India and Australia and 6,300 bags from America and Canada. The traffic ceased when the First World War started and with the extension of the deep water docks at Southampton, this became the preferred port for the liners after the conflict. As a result the Ocean Mail vans were relegated to the nightly newspaper traffic from London.

Behind the Ocean Mail van is a fifty seven foot long, steel panelled, toplight Passenger Brake van (PBV) to diagram K22. These brake vans had gangways and a side corridor (which is side seen in this photograph). The bogies were the nine foot wheelbase ‘American’ equalised type. Thirty six of these brake vans were built as follows:
Two from lot 1253 completed in April 1915, with running numbers 255 and 256.
Eight from lot 1281 completed in April 1922, with running numbers 257 to 266.
Lot 1288 conversion of an ex-ambulance coach in June 1922, with running number 267.
Twenty five from lot 1301 completed July 1922, with running numbers 1129 to 1153. All these PBVs had been condemned by December 1962.

Both of these vans are in the 1943 chocolate and cream livery with the twin shield device.

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 AEL410.

Robert Ferris

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