MR 8 ton Van

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	MR 8 ton Van (body only) built 1902 number 120400 [Awaiting photograph] This vehicle is a remarkable survival though the once common practice of using old railway vans as ready-made buildings, rather like an early “Portacabin”; they are still sometimes to be found in corners of farmyards and gardens. When found, this one still carried its original label clip and a “Built Derby 1902" plate, and has remained remarkably sound due to liberal covering of the roof with sections of thick rubber conveyor belt. No number plate survived but scraping down one door plank revealed the number 120400. Above: MR 8 ton van number 114351, identical to 120400 when first built in 1902 This van is known to be one of the first batch of 1,500 Midland Railway “long” 8 ton capacity vans, and is thus the ancestor of the later MR, LMS and BR design vans of 10 and 12 ton capacity of which several variants are now at Foxfield. It would have had handbrakes on one side only, later being equipped both sides, and probably had grease lubricated axleboxes when built, later changed to oil bearings. Showing no signs of BR livery, this van was certainly withdrawn from railway service by about 1950, still carrying the LMS bauxite livery it received sometime after 1936. The distinctive side bracing has received reinforcing plates at the base, and diagonal tierods have also been fitted to rectify weaknesses in the original design. The "ghost" shape of its number plate reveals that it had received replacement LMS style plates, a window had been fitted at one end, and a stove pipe hole cut in the roof at the other. 120400 may therefore have spent its last days in some departmental service as a mess van, and may have been renumbered for this role. Above: Original MR diagram for 8 ton van number 120400 Having spent almost fifty years on rails, it then spent nearly another fifty years as a farm shed. The rubber roof was fitted, a further stovepipe hole cut in the roof, one of the doors removed and the whole van coated in bitumen paint, which ultimately ensured its survival. Kindly made available by Foxfield’s next-door-neighbour at Caverswall Road, it made the journey of a few hundred yards to its new home on 5 May 1998. Above: MR 8 ton van body being loaded on 5 May 1998 Fortunately four of the ex-Wolstanton open wagons acquired in 1973 are Midland Railway vehicles and possess the correct wheelsets, drawgear, buffers and brakes to make this van mobile again, and so poorest of the Wolstanton rake (NCB number 58) will be broken up to provide the necessary authentic parts. A number of parts are also in stock from a very similar 10 ton van dismantled for spares at Madeley in 1996. Restoration so far includes completely new doors on new cast runners, a new floor and replacement of both headstocks and other body timbers. There is considerable decay in some of the original timbers, and while a perfect job will not be achieved the result will retain as much of the original as possible. A traditional canvas roof will be fitted, and then the wheels and running gear. The interior too is being fully restored, hopefully to carry a display about British railway wagons. When completed this project will have been Foxfield’s most ambitious wagon restoration. Above: MR 8 ton van 120400 as delivered to Caverswall Road Several other similar but slightly later vans are also preserved elsewhere, including at least four at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley. At Buckinghamshire Railway Centre can be found 10 ton version number 34676 Below: one of the donor vehicles - parts are used from this van dismantled at Madeley in 1996

This vehicle is a remarkable survival though the once common practice of using old railway vans as ready-made buildings, rather like an early “Portacabin”; they are still sometimes to be found in corners of farmyards and gardens. When found, this one still carried its original label clip and a “Built Derby 1902" plate, and has remained remarkably sound due to liberal covering of the roof with sections of thick rubber conveyor belt. No number plate survived but scraping down one door plank revealed the number 120400.

Above: MR 8 ton van number 114351, identical to 120400 when first built in 1902

This van is known to be one of the first batch of 1,500 Midland Railway “long” 8 ton capacity vans, and is thus the ancestor of the later MR, LMS and BR design vans of 10 and 12 ton capacity of which several variants are now at Foxfield. It would have had handbrakes on one side only, later being equipped both sides, and probably had grease lubricated axleboxes when built, later changed to oil bearings. Showing no signs of BR livery, this van was certainly withdrawn from railway service by about 1950, still carrying the LMS bauxite livery it received sometime after 1936. The distinctive side bracing has received reinforcing plates at the base, and diagonal tierods have also been fitted to rectify weaknesses in the original design. The "ghost" shape of its number plate reveals that it had received replacement LMS style plates, a window had been fitted at one end, and a stove pipe hole cut in the roof at the other. 120400 may therefore have spent its last days in some departmental service as a mess van, and may have been renumbered for this role.

Having spent almost fifty years on rails, it then spent nearly another fifty years as a farm shed. The rubber roof was fitted, a further stovepipe hole cut in the roof, one of the doors removed and the whole van coated in bitumen paint, which ultimately ensured its survival. Kindly made available by Foxfield’s next-door-neighbour at Caverswall Road, it made the journey of a few hundred yards to its new home on 5 May 1998.

Fortunately four of the ex-Wolstanton open wagons acquired in 1973 are Midland Railway vehicles and possess the correct wheelsets, drawgear, buffers and brakes to make this van mobile again, and so poorest of the Wolstanton rake (NCB number 58) will be broken up to provide the necessary authentic parts. A number of parts are also in stock from a very similar 10 ton van dismantled for spares at Madeley in 1996. Restoration so far includes completely new doors on new cast runners, a new floor and replacement of both headstocks and other body timbers. There is considerable decay in some of the original timbers, and while a perfect job will not be achieved the result will retain as much of the original as possible. A traditional canvas roof will be fitted, and then the wheels and running gear. The interior too is being fully restored, hopefully to carry a display about British railway wagons. When completed this project will have been Foxfield’s most ambitious wagon restoration.

Several other similar but slightly later vans are also preserved elsewhere, including at least four at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley. At Buckinghamshire Railway Centre can be found 10 ton version number 34676

Below: one of the donor vehicles - parts are used from this van dismantled at Madeley in 1996

MR 8 ton Van (body only) built 1902 number 120400