Oxford OR76BAN003

GE Banana Van - LNER (post 1937) 632877 1:76

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

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

Built in 1923 by the newly formed LNER, the GER Diagram 85 banana vans were built to transport imported bananas under carefully controlled conditions. Based on a Great Eastern Railway goods van, these vans featured vacuum brakes, steam heating, and thick insulation to keep the fruit at a stable 57°F from dockside to distribution centres like Stratford Market in East London.

Only 100 were constructed, numbered 632822–632921. Some were later loaned to the Southern Railway in the 1930s, even receiving SR branding. Despite their specialist role, they remained in traffic into the late 1950s.

Catalogue listing

The Oxford Rail 1:76 scale model represents a LNER post 1937 GE Banana Van, numbered 632877.

The model depicts a vehicle from the Big Four era, which spanned from the 1920s to the 1940s, when the railway network was dominated by the four main railway companies: LNER, LMS, GWR, and SR.

The actual vehicles were built in 1923 by the London and North Eastern Railway, specifically for the transportation of bananas. They were based on a design by the Great Eastern Railway and featured vacuum brakes, steam heating, and insulation to maintain a consistent temperature of 13°C for the fruit's journey from dockside to distribution centres.

Only 100 of these banana vans were constructed, numbered 632822 to 632921. Some were later loaned to the Southern Railway in the 1930s and even featured SR branding. Despite their specialist role, the vans remained in operation until the late 1950s.