I wonder if anybody could identify the left hand vehicle in the photo. The photo was taken from Paul Atterbury's "Mapping Britain's Lost Branch Lines and was taken at Strathpeffer in the 1930's. Cheers Jim
https://www.ambaile.org.uk/detail/en/28746/1/EN28746-two-lms-brake-vans.htm I believe that the one on the left is your brake van, in Scotland from the former Highland Railway. https://miscellanymodels.com/wagons/highland-railway-early-pattern-lookout-for-dia-38-brake-van/ This one. D van, Diagram 38 HR brake vans.
Certainly looks that way to me as well. I think I have seen a similar version in kit form. If I find it, I'll post it up. Cheers Toto
G`day Jim, Certainly looks like a brake van, however I have found through research on another project, that most railway companies would often adapt coaches or vans so that they could be used on engineering trains.The logic behind it was to have onboard accommodation / facilities for work crews and also tools etc. The raised section in the roof looks as though it may have been for a special purpose, which again would lend itself to an engineering task, however all of the above is pure speculation in this case. Gormo
These vehicles were originally built as brake vans, diagram 38 to be precise. They had a central lookout in a raised roof section accessed by steps so that the guards could see what was happening without having to move from side to side of the van (the Highland railway had track with a lot more curves in it than most other railways). After the first diagram 38 vans were put into traffic, there were persistent complaints from guards who had injured themselves when climbing up the steps to look out of the windows. The vans were then modified by the addition of the ramp-like section (seen in the photo) running along the central axis of the van to give the guards sufficient clearance for their heads when climbing the steps to the look-out. The original form of the raised section was similar in appearance to that on SE&CR "Birdcage" coaches, except that it was in the centre of the roof. Jim (yes, another one)
