W86500 Prototype General Utility Van

W86500 is the most historically important of our support vehicles, and is also the oldest vehicle in the group's care, emerging from BR's Swindon works in early 1956. W86500 is the prototype General Utility Van (GUV), a variation of the hugely successful Mark 1 coach design. The GUVs were vacuum braked and on standard 57ft underframes, enabling them to be formed in most of the trains of the time. GUVs carry no passengers, and instead have a large open area inside, which could be filled with large goods or smaller items on racks which could be folded down from the sides. GUVs have no gangways, the ends instead having opening doors and a flap that can be dropped (supported on adapted buffers). This enabled cars to be driven into them, and from vehicle to vehicle, meaning a whole rake of GUVs could be loaded with cars by each one driving into the end vehicle and along the train. The body has straighter sides and a lower roof than most coaches, enhancing the vehicle's route availability. Four sets of double opening doors (two per side) are built in for the loading/unloading of goods at platforms. W86500 is unique in that it was built with two sets of doors per side, a specification which was increased to three sets per side for the production batch. The vehicle was built with other smaller differences such as chalk boards on the tops of the doors. It was delivered in BR Crimson livery, again unusual, most GUVs being introduced in the standard BR maroon livery.

W86500 was evaluated in 1956 and as a result, almost 900 production GUVs were built between 1957 & 1960. Weighing 30 tons, W86500 can hold a 14 ton load and was initially used for parcel and similar traffic on the Western Region of BR in the 1950's & 1960's. Becoming an insignificant vehicle, it is almost impossible to trace, but we can speculate that the vehicle would have spent most of its working life travelling round the BR network hauling parcels, goods and anything else that was required of it. It also was repainted from the Crimson it was delivered in into the more conventional Maroon and later corporate BR Blue liveries. We are lucky to have obtained a sighting of W86500 from 25th August 1981. On this date, the vehicle was spotted at Salkeld Street parcels depot near Glasgow Central in Scotland, amongst other interesting vehicles such as Southern railway and London Midland & Scottish Railway bogie brake vehicles also in parcels use during this time. Eventually the vehicle was rendered surplus to requirements and was transferred to departmental use, being perfectly suited already (without major modification) as a general store/tool van. It was repainted an undesirable shade of olive green for this use and renumbered ADB977442 before later falling out of use again and being sold into preservation.

W86500 was preserved by Pete Waterman during the 1990’s and spent many years as a stores van at Crewe, a site still part of the mainline railway. Although the vehicle had been saved from scrap, no work had been undertaken to return this historically important vehicle back to its former glory, the van having a more functional purpose, in common with most other preserved GUVs. A clear out of sidings in 2009 resulted in the vehicle being sold for scrap as part of a line of dilapidated vehicles. Several vehicles in the line were pulled apart in situ by a mechanical “grabber” and progress had reached the vehicle adjacent to W86500 when a BRCW Group member was informed that this was no ordinary GUV, it being the first one. Hasty arrangements were made (with about half an hour to spare!!) concluding in the sale of the vehicle; W86500 being moved by rail on the 11th September 2009 from the sidings south of Crewe station to the Heritage Centre, for onward movement by road to the Churnet Valley Railway. The group are grateful to the people whose quick initiatives saved this vehicle from being quietly lost.

With W86500 being the prototype GUV, we felt it fitting that the vehicle be preserved in as built condition. The vehicle arrived at our base on the Churnet Valley Railway in mid September 2009 and work commenced immediately. The condition of the vehicle, despite its drab and rusty appearance, was relatively good with only the doors and some small areas expected to require replacement after an inspection. As several of our own vans had deteriorated somewhat over the years due to a lack of maintenance, it was decided in light of the vehicles historical value that full external restoration would be done immediately.

It is planned for the restoration of W86500 to be completed during 2010. Most of the external work has been contracted to Heritage Restorations and is currently underway. It is hoped to out-shop W86500 in original 1956 Crimson condition this summer, where the van will be maintained in operational condition. There are already plans to use it in train formations during gala weekends, and as an interesting addition to both passenger & freight photographic charters that are held at the CVR on occasions. Of course we also plan to use it as a flagship tail load for our green Class 104, at gala weekends in the future.