Photo:
Robert Frise - LNWR Brake behind Met. 1 and Post Van

About 250 of this type of full brake were built by the LNWR between 1890 and 1898 for use on express passenger trains. Ninety-five survived until after the LMS renumbering scheme of 1933. The last one in capital stock was No. 33888, which was withdrawn in 1952. Several were converted to C & W Stores vans, of which DM279902 and DM279960, both built in 1892, and our DM279982, remained in service until the late 1960s. Quite frequently they were seen on the main line, and on one notable occasion, about 1960, one of them graced the front of the 6:06 Euston to Northampton local. This must have been one of the rare examples when a service vehicle was marshalled in a regular passenger train.

Our vehicle, the original number of which is not known, was built at Wolverton to a LNWR passenger coach profile, 8ft wide, and with a low arc roof. Many photographs of North Western trains at the turn of the century show one of these vans next to the locomotive. DM279982 is the sole remaining member of the class.

When the BR Carriage and Wagon people had finished with it they abandoned it at Wolverton. In 1973 it was noticed by a QRS member, who in time approached British Rail with a view to purchase. British Rail headquarters did not even know it existed and were most surprised at the enquiry!. It had been condemned in the 1960s. However they were pleased to arrange a sale to the Great Central Coach Group. After inspection it was allowed to travel on the main line from Wolverton to Bletchley, probably the last journey made by this vintage vehicle on the main West Coast Mainline. Onward travel was by road to Quainton, arriving on 10th April 1976. It arrived at Quainton 10 days before the Easter open days of that year. This short time was taken to fitted vacuum brake standpipe and valve, and handbrake, and all the brake system overhauled. The brake appeared in the vintage train that Easter, still in its rather unkempt dull red departmental livery. In July of that year the QRS purchased the vehicle and it has since given sterling service on the vintage train.

During recent renovation work, a chalked date of 14 January 1954 was discovered, indicating the date of replacing the original mahogany panelling with tongue and grove boards. Wolverton frequently had problems with mahogany splitting along the grain, so this vehicle must have been in a bad way to have required a total replacement. Previous renovation work had revealed a body work repair date of 1967. It is also apparent that there was a dog box at each end of the van, which will be replicated. The feature was once commonplace on Victorian brake vans designed to travel in passenger trains and consisted of a small pair, or a large single, louvered door that gave access to a van width box from the platform.

References:
Vintage Carriage News - Quainton News No. 28 Summer 1976
Good News from the C & W - Quainton News No. 29 Autumn 1976
The LNWR Full Brake Van - Quainton News No. 35 Summer 1978
The Gresley and Other Coaches - Quainton News No. 38 - Spring / Summer 1979
Victorian Coaches - Tony Lyster - Quainton News No. 91 April 2004