Silver fox heating vans

[Noel]

Christmas came early and fortunately we just beat the 'B' deadline of Dec 31st so avoided any possible vat or customs issues had parcel not arrived in time. Well done SF.

SF have lifted their game and I'm delighted to have these two classic CIE era vans to operate with my black and tan coaching stock. These pics are straight out of the box before weathering and before couplings converted to kadee's.

6 Wheel heating van (ie would have been silver before being resprayed Black and Tan livery in the 1960s

 

Four wheel heating and luggage van (HLV). Much improved glazing. I am really delighted to have these to run with CIE era branch trains.

Improved gangway details

I'll weather them over the Christmas break. The 6 wheel version has a sliding centre axle so that it can run over short points ok.

[Heirflick4]

There's something really elegant about those 6 wheelers!

[Noel]

6 hours ago, Heirflick4 said:

There's something really elegant about those 6 wheelers!

Yes they are the bees knees and the cats whiskers and right up my street (ie CIE golden era 1960s). Every train I travelled on as a youngster had one of these either tagged on at the end of the rake or behind the loco.

[jhb171achill]

9 hours ago, Noel said:

Christmas came early and fortunately we just beat the 'B' deadline of Dec 31st so avoided any possible vat or customs issues had parcel not arrived in time. Well done SF.

SF have lifted their game and I'm delighted to have these two classic CIE era vans to operate with my black and tan coaching stock. These pics are straight out of the box before weathering and before couplings converted to kadee's.

6 Wheel heating van (ie would have been silver before being resprayed Black and Tan livery in the 1960s

 

Indeed - "tin vans" in all of their variations are as essential to any 1960s passenger train as the actual locomotive is.

Small point, though - the six-wheelers were delivered 1964/5, so were black'n'tan from new. The very first PO vans, heating vans and luggage vans (all being 4-wheeled) were initially silver, but later ones were green from new, and many of the tatty old "silver" ones were also repainted green, but obviously repainted black'n'tan from late 1962 onwards.

Thus - and this is of interest to owners of either grey or black'n'tan 121s, it was commonplace to see a mail train in the 1962-6 period with maybe three "tin vans", one in each livery, albeit in the case of the silver, really just a coat of 100% weathering.

[jhb171achill]

..........added note - was looking last night at a pic of the set made up for the North Wexford service in Waterford station about 1963 - a dirty silver tin van, a green ex-GSWR wooden-bodied bogie coach, and a black'n'tan tin van.........

[Lambeg man]

On 23/12/2020 at 10:40 PM, jhb171achill said:

Indeed - "tin vans" in all of their variations are as essential to any 1960s passenger train as the actual locomotive is.

Agreed Jon. I have purchased the 6-wheel heating van and the 4-wheel luggage van from SF and I am very pleased with them. They knock my efforts in that direction into a cocked hat.

My abiding memory of these six-wheel heating vans goes back to around 1969. I still recall reading the weekly circular for a particular week and seeing that on the following Saturday a return CIE excursion from Dublin to Belfast (possibly a 'shoppers' excursion) was scheduled to leave GVS at 17.45, the same time as the regular Saturday's NIR local service to Lisburn. I obviously wondered how could two trains leave at the same time? So I made a point of being in GVS at 17.45 that Saturday. Sure enough both trains were ready. I recall Andy Lawlor was the local service guard and we got away at 17.45 in front of the Dublin. As we stopped at every station and halt to Lisburn, our train clearly blocked the Dublin. Getting off at Lambeg I waited to see the Dublin eventually pass. It came past at about 20 mph as the Lambeg up starter signal only cleared as it approached. Despite all this taking place on a warm summer's evening, I still recall the 141 laboring through Lambeg with nine or ten coaches and a six-wheel heating van behind the engine. I was amazed at the amount of pressure this van 'punched down' on the track as it passed. It caused more downward deflection of the track than the locomotive did. So for my 141 hauled 'Dublin Excursion Set', one of there vans was essential.

The following week the operating circular set the local departure back to 17.48!   

[jhb171achill]

Yes - in all reality, a 1960s CIE passenger train without one is as unrealistic as one without a locomotive - or a goods train without a brake van. I've 4 but I need another 4......

[DJ Dangerous]

With the Tin Vans, were there several on each train or just one?

Were all Tin Vans heating vans, with some being multi-purpose such as HLV's!

Or were there some that were not heating vans?

[jhb171achill]

There had to be at least one for the guard, plus heating and lighting.

1.  You had 4-wheeled guards / parcel vans with no genny - they were first. These were the ones initially known semi-officially as “hooded vans”, later less officially as “tin vans”. In official parlance they were abbreviated to “LV” (= “Luggage Van”).

2.  Then the same but with generators, a little luggage space, and of course, the guard. These were known as “HV”, or “heating van” to some, “GSV” (generating steam van) to others, and “hot water bottles” to enthusiasts.

Both of these were used on most trains from the late 50s, but all trains in the 60s, bar the odd rare exception like the solitary and unique Loughrea coach.

In grey 121 days, or black’n’tan days, tin vans of both types above are quite simply essential.

Then, 

3.  The mail vans. There were a small number built for use on mail trains. These had neither heating boiler nor brake, but at least one was subsequently rebuilt as a brake vehicle, despite retaining its TPO appearance. I think that’s the one now at Downpatrick, following its later career in the weedspray.

4.  The later 6-wheeled vans (in 1964/5) were heating / guard only - none were built as LVs only. These were only ever in black’n’tan.

1, 2, and 3 started silver, but most were eventually painted green, especially the “hot water bottles”. Some made it to black’n’tan days still in extremely filthy “silver”.

[WRENNEIRE]

To quote The Deserted Village from my school days:

While words of learned length and thundering sound
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around,
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew.