This is a representative of BR's first efforts to respond to changing methods of handling. Built at BR's Faverdale Works, Darlington to diagram 1/211 this van is one of 300 built under Lot 2864 in 1956. With a steel floor and offset side doors this van was designed to carry palletised loads and to be loaded by fork lift truck from both sides. Unfortunately, this often led to vans running with loads at one end only, resulting in rough riding and subsequently derailment.
B772972 at Sheffield Park, Richard Salmon
After a short life in traffic, many were put into Internal Use and a large number was sold to the Port
of London Authority for use within the old London docks network. This one became their No.A52. When the
PLA began disposal, the Bluebell purchased three for storage, this one arriving on 27th. March 1971.
B772972 has been used by the Bluebell S&T Department. However, the ply construction is prone to
rot and one of the three was scrapped some years ago. We are hoping this vehicle or its twin
B761349 can be saved as an example of this unsuccessful BR attempt at modernisation.
Text © Martin Skrzetuszewski, acknowledging the work of the late Handel Kardas.