The Southern Railway Van U utility van was very similar in style to other SR parcels vans. A total of 390 were built to essentially
the same design from 1928, continuing right into the early days of British Railways.
Their end-loading doors allowed cars (or
carriages) to be loaded, hence their sometime SR designation Covcar and the BR classification CCT (covered carriage truck). This
vehicle is from the very last batch, built at Lancing in 1955, having plywood rather than planked sides.
They were adaptable to many sorts of traffic, including small livestock in cages or parts of aircraft. They were rated to run in
passenger trains, and often did so for parcels and newspaper traffic. Of very simple design, with the metal framing exposed, they
are easy to maintain. These vans had a long life on BR, most of the later examples remaining in service into the 1980s.
S2531S was
withdrawn from revenue service in May 1981 and was offered for sale. It was preserved by the Camelot Locomotive Society.
Right: CCT 2531 at the completion of its overhaul (Richard Salmon - 6 October 2019).
Having completed the overhaul of their locomotive, the Camelot Locomotive Society decided their stores van should now be overhauled, and rather than arranging an external contract overhaul it was decided that a team in the Bluebell's C&W works would undertake the overhaul in exchange for a donation towards a planned future project.
This major overhaul started in October 2016, and involved stripping the metal to a bare frame, the replacement of all they plywood panelling and most of the door planks, part of the roof and puts the van into effectively as-new condition.
Dave Clarke's photo on the left shows the van ready for re-assembly to commence in March 2018.
See also Dave Clarke's comprehensive photos covering the overhaul.
Below: CCT 2531 returns to service (delayed by the pandemic) behind SECR H-class No. 263 after completion of its overhaul, 31 October 2020 (Alex Morley).