Dapol have been working on a range of BR wagons all base on the 10 foot wheelbase chassis which have now been released but is constantly being expanded on with more vehicles to be released over the next 12 months. As and when we get more information I will update this section.

The wagons run nicely, the die-cast chassis providing a rigid, weighty base and we have increased the weight of the coupling hook spring.

I have now updated this page to also show some of the weathered examples that have been completed through the workshops. The costs of the weathered examples completed through our workshop is an additional £25.00 each if required with your choice of the degree of weathering.

Based on their popular 10ft wheelbase planked and plywood vans Dapol are introducing a range of licensed brewery vans, the first of which are listed below. These came out a few months ago and we still have a handful of these left.

Based on their popular 10ft wheelbase planked and plywood vans Dapol are introducing a range of licensed vans, the first of which are listed below.These will become available towards the end of May or June

Due to pressure from large customers BR developed a box van design with sliding doors, the Vanwide to Diagram 1/217, with standard dimensions of 17ft 6 inch length with a 10ft wheelbase. The sides were of plywood construction with flush doors that moved out slightly thus enabling them to slide down the sides, so alleviating the problem of confined locations. The end walls were made from corrugated metal sheeting. The door opening method made a door aperture of 9ft possible which aided loading of pallets by fork lift truck. It was this wider door opening that gave rise to the code name. The build was between Wolverton works and Derby works with nearly 2000 being built between 1961 - 1962

We have now received all versions of the new Dapol Vanwides and have stock available of all liveries for immediate despatch. Details of the two Tower Models limited editions sets of six, all with different running numbers, can be found through this link

.The VEA vans were refurbished versions of the Vanwide and fitted with air brakes from 1977 to suit customers who could not handle the longer wheelbase of more modern designs of wagon. A total of 550 wagons were converted. They were used on Speedlink trains as well as military specials. A decline in MOD requirements led to most of the wagons being withdrawn in the early 1990s with just a handful finding further use in the departmental fleets. However many survived in internal use at Army bases. Several examples survive into preservation

We have now received all versions of the new Dapol VEA's and have the last remaining few available for immediate despatch. Details of the two Tower Models limited editions sets of six, all with different running numbers, can be found through this link

To meet the rapid rise in demand for bananas shipped in from the Caribbean, especially constructed steam heated banana vans were manufactured with plywood cladding and insulated bodies that allowed bananas to be shipped in green and ripened en-route.  

The Dapol model of the banana van is of a later 1950’s built variant that was steam piped allowing the easy running of interconnected block trains.

BR allocated two diagrams to the LMS design open merchandise wagon, both with and without a tarpaulin bar, with some having the tarpaulin bar removed in later service. Some were vacuum braked, others were initially unfitted, being converted to vacuum brake in the late 1950s. Over 8,000 of Diagram 1/039 and 1/044 wagons, with their characteristic corrugated steel ends, were built throughout the 1950s. Used for a wide range of goods traffic until the 1980s, some had their life extended another decade in the Civil Engineers fleet.

These vans of which over 3,500 were built in the 1950s are similar to the above type but have plywood substituting for timber planks in the body and have an equivalent history lasting into the 1980's.

Standard British Railways van design for carrying chilled meat. Built in 1953-4 to diagram 1/251, these vans were closely related to the contemporary ventilated van design, but with an internal insulating layer instead of vents. This layer also reduced the carrying capacity from 12 to 10 tons. Originally painted white with black underframe, the white was later (after 1964) replaced by ice blue. Some of these vans were later being used for other traffic, such as beer, for which some vans were re-classified as ALE. Most of these vans survived into the 1970s.

250 of these vans were built in 1952/53 for carrying chilled meat. In the 1960s many were used as ordinary goods vans before their eventual withdrawal in the early 1970s.