Name: Dapol 4F-016-025 Banana Van BR B881720
Brand: Dapol
SKU: 4F-016-025
Price: 12.45 GBP

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

To meet the rapid rise in demand for bananas shipped in from the Caribbean, specially 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.

There is a later variant, built typically in the 1950’s, that was steam piped allowing the easier running of interconnected block trains. This type of banana van was often characterised by a large yellow spot on each side and had a 12t capacity.

Catalogue listing

Brand

Dapol

Product Code

4F-016-025

RRP

£12.45

Model details

Gauge

Livery

BR bauxite

Height

48mm

Width

33mm

Minimum radius curve

Radius 1

Tooling date

1995

Minimum radius

Radius 1

Chassis construction

Diecast

Coupling mount

Fixed

Coupling type

Peco style

Scale

OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)

Prototype information

Type of vehicle

Insulated box van

Operated by

British Railways

Builder

BR Wolverton Works

Build dates

1959 to 1960

Wheel configuration

4-wheel

Main duties

Banana Transport
Barrier Vehicles

In service until

1970s

Operator

British Railways

Wheel arrangement

4-wheel

Built

1959 to 1960

Built by

BR Wolverton Works

Supplier Links

Dapol website

Search on Amazon

Search on eBay

Supplier links are provided for your convenience and do not guarantee that the product is currently available. RailwayModels.uk is not a representative of these suppliers, but may receive a commission when purchases are made through links on this page.

Related products

Dapol Banana Van BR B881720 is an OO gauge model in British Railways bauxite livery. It measures 82mm in length, 33mm in width and 48mm in height, rides on a 4‑wheel arrangement and is suited to a minimum radius of curve 1. The model carries the manufacturer part number 4F‑016‑025 and represents the British Railways Early Crest period.

The locomotive body was built by BR Wolverton Works between 1959 and 1960 for British Railways. It is a replica of the steam‑heated banana vans that were produced to meet the growing demand for Caribbean bananas, featuring plywood cladding and insulated bodies that allowed the fruit to be shipped in a green state and ripen en route.

A later variant of the banana van, commonly built in the 1950s, incorporated steam piping to facilitate the operation of block trains. This type was usually marked with a large yellow spot on each side and had a payload capacity of 12 tonnes.