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Hornby R60021

BR, Luggage Van, S 2477 S - Era 4

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI 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

During 1927 and 1928, the Southern Railway found itself with a large surplus amount of ex-LSWR underframes, as many of the former LSWR Bogie Block 4-coach sets were converted to EMUs on new 62' underframes. The spare underframes proved an ideal base for the new Gangwayed Bogie Luggage Vans (GBL) that the SR were looking to build at the time. The GBL vans were mainly used across the SR's Western Section, with just a few working in the Eastern Section on Parcels traffic and Chatham passenger trains.

In the west, their use extended to Newspaper, Parcels, Dairy and Bicycle traffic, as well as for passenger baggage on the South Coast express trains and in 1939, at the Ministry of Health's request, thirty were converted at Lancing Works for use in Casualty Evacuation Trains with more converted to ambulance coaches before the end of the war. The GBL vans were rapidly replaced in traffic by BR bogie GUV vans and virtually all were withdrawn during 1959 and 1960, with just a few survivors continuing in service as Pigeon vans until November 1961.

Other examples were transferred into Departmental use, with some modifications taking place such as the widening of doors and the removal of gangways, however one van, No. 2464, found fame by being re-entered into traffic to convey Sir Winston Churchill's body from London to Handborough on 30 January 1965.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Hornby BR Luggage Van, S 2477 S (Era 4) is an OO gauge model of a Southern Railway gangwayed bogie luggage van. The model measures 250 mm in length, has a pristine red finish, and is fitted with a 5 pole skew wound motor. It runs on a minimum radius of the second radius (438 mm) and uses NEM coupling. The livery is British Railways maroon, the model is unpowered for DCC operation and carries the running number S2477S. It is produced under manufacturer part number R60021 and represents the early British Railways crest period.

The prototype van was built in the early 1930s by the Southern Railway, based on surplus LSWR underframes. Designed by SR, it featured two bogies and was used primarily on the Western Section for newspaper, parcels, dairy, bicycle and passenger baggage traffic. In 1939 thirty units were converted for casualty evacuation trains at Lancing Works, and further conversions to ambulance coaches were made during the war. The vans were superseded by BR bogie GUV vans and most were withdrawn by 1960, with a few remaining as pigeon vans until November 1961. One notable example, van 2464, conveyed Sir Winston Churchill's body from London to Handborough on 30 January 1965.