SR 56291 Bogie Brake Van
| SR 56291 Bogie Brake Van | |
|---|---|
 SR Brake Van 56291 (Jan 2016) | |
| Built By | SR Lancing/Ashford |
| Status | Unrestored |
| Number | 56291 |
| Other Numbers | KDS 56291 |
| History | |
| Built | 1936 |
| Diagram | 1550 |
| Lot | 867 |
| Type | Brake Van |
| Telegraphic code | ‘Queen Mary’ |
| Brakes | Vacuum braked |
| 1975 | Entered preservation |
| 1985 | Appeared on the main line |
The majority of goods brake vans were of the 20 ton type. However 56291 is an example of a Southern Region 25 ton brake van, equipped with vacuum brakes and fitted with redundant carriage bogies to allow running at up to 75 mph on fast mail and parcel trains. These type of brake vans were often used on boat trains from Southampton, earning them the nickname “Queen Mary”. [1]
Contents
Service and Preservation
56291 was built by the SR at Lancing/Ashford in 1936 to Diagram 1550, Lot 867.[2] Post-nationalisation it was used in BR’s Southern and Western regions, ending service in BR’s S&T Department works trains, for which it was renumbered KDS 56291.[1]
56291 arrived on the SVR on 27 November 1993 from London’s Old Oak Common. It is privately owned by J.J. Smith and is stored at the Stourport Triangle awaiting restoration.