Miscellaneous: Operating Equipment & Practices

Miscellaneous Equipment: misc_equip202

An official Great Western Railway photograph taken in December 1903 of the Engineering Department Van No 14938, which can be seen deployed at Leamington Spa in image 'gwrls2086a'. The van was originally built in 1856 as Iron Mink Van No 2799 with no end vents or roof overhang, but with a central section of the roof that could be opened to allow crane loading. This 'roof door' was removed in 1879 and the van was condemned in 1903.

Handed over to the Engineering Department it was converted into a unique mobile Compressor Van. An extension at one end provided the extra height required to house a vertical steam boiler and this powered a small steam engine that drove an air compressor. The boiler's chimney could be removed when not required. Multiple connections for pneumatic tools were available from the pipework. At Leamington Spa this mobile Compressor Van was used to provide compressed air to the pneumatic rivet guns which were used to piece together the girder bridge sections on site. The coiled hose is not part of the air pressure system, but was used to provide water to a high level tank in the van which supplied the vertical steam boiler. The mobile Compressor Van remained in Engineering Department's service until 1937.

Robert Ferris

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