Class VA Bogie Fruit vans and class WO meat vans

Class VA Bogie Fruit vans and class WO meat vans

Two V class vans (3346, 3405) were fitted with four louvred ventilators and reclassified WO for meat traffic in 1901/2. After a gap of twelve years or so a further V class van was fitted with louvres but this time intended for fruit traffic. It was reclassified VA and was followed by a further 49 vans up to 1919. The vans involved are listed below

No picture available

1901/2	WO3346, 3405 from V
1913	VA2242 from V
1914	VA1845, 1847, 1874, 2205, 2227, 2230, 2848, 2852, 3258, 3262,3278, 3289, 3291, 3315, 3330, 3336, 3356, 3376, 3404, 3410, 3411, 3412, 3418, 3426 from V
1916	VA2228, 2229, 3259, 3292, 3335, 3349, 3423 from V
1917	VA1862, 2211, 2236, 2869, 3272 from V
1918	VA1851, 2200, 2209, 2239, 2858, 3283, 3288, 3365, 3378 from V
1919	VA1889, 3347, 3413, 3438 from V

These vans came in for considerable criticism in the 1922 Royal Commission Report and subsequent new build vans were built 3'-0" longer with a wider and higher body. There were, however, some further rebuilds from class V and photographic evidence suggests that these vans may have got the higher body but still had the 30'-0" underframe inherited from the class V. VA2224 certainly did as the photo opposite makes clear. VA3394 is less likely to have had a new body as this van became an accident van only five years after being rebuilt. It is unclear what happened to the two WO class wagons when they were reclassified VA. They may also have got the larger body.

1924	VA1869 from V
1927	VA2224, 3394 from V 3269 from VW
1932	VA3394 to VC
1935	WO3346 to VA
1936	WO3405 to VA

In 1939 VA3405 formerly a WO was reclassified VB after being fitted with a crate floor and this suggests that this van did indeed get the larger type body. VA3259 (one of the 1916 rebuilds) was also converted to VB in 1953 and this strongly suggests that this van may also have had a larger style body. However the larger body may have just been the result of replacement of life expired bodywork in which case almost any of the class could have got it eventually. Details of the demise of these vans are given below.

1939	3405 to VB
1948	2200 to JETTY 486
1950	2205, 2858 written off
1953	3259 to VB 3315, 3426 written off
1954	1845, 3262, 3335, 3413, 3423 written off
1956	3410 written off
1957	2209, 2229, 2230, 2242, 2848, 3289, 3291, 3292 written off
1958	2869, 3336, 3349, 3356, 3418 written off
1959	2211 written off
1960	1889 written off 3259 from VB
1961	3438 written off
1962	2236 written off
1963	2239 to JETTY 204 2228 written off 3258 to VC 1874, 2224, 3347 to VW
1965	1869 written off
1967	3376 written off
1968	2227, 3412 written off
1970	3269, 3288,3346, 3378 written off
1972	1851, 1862, 2852, 3272, 3278, 3365, 3330, 3404, 3411 written off
1973	3259 written off 1847 sold
Unaccounted for	3283

The longer 33' VA vans vans are dealt with separately.