36 ton Ferry Van.
DETAILS OF THIS VEHICLE.
Location : Hoo Junction Yard.
Date : 26/07/1987.
Type : 20 ton capacity Ferry Van.
Weight : 35.5 t GLW / 15.5 t Tare.
Number : DB 787299.
Number Series : GB 787098 to GB 787347.
Builder : 1963-64 by British Railways Ashford Works.
TOPS Code : ZSX (ex VJX).
UIC Code : Hfs.
Designation : FERRY VAN.
Lot No. : 3472.
Diagram No. : 1/227.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
British Railways built 400 of these long wheelbase ferry vans for use on the Dover-Dunkerque and Harwich-Zeebrugge train ferries carrying general freight merchandise. When built they were branded FERRY VAN but this changed to the branding shown on this vehicle with the BR double arrow logo. There were two lot constructed the first being GB 786873 to GB 787022 (150 vehicles) built by the Pressed Steel Co. The second batch of 250 being built by BR as depicted here. Although built with BR van fleet numbers in the 786xxx and 787xxx range they were soon allocated UIC 12 digit numbers for working into Europe.
By the late 1970's BR had largely pulled out of wagon provision for general freight to the continent leaving the market in the hands of wagon leasing companies and private owners. Many of the BR Ferry Vans thus went into department use either as vans or with the bodywork removed and used as runner wagons or bogie carriers. The vans became a regular sight as barrier vehicles on dangerous goods trains and coded RBX. The bogie carriers became ZVX and runners ZSX. The vehicle seen here had arrived at Hoo Junction as a VJX but was re-coded as ZSX by the C&W staff hence the signs of new paint on the number which had changed from B 787299 to DB 787299. Also the TOPS code has changed to ZSX in place of VJX however the observant will notice it still carries a VIX code too on the extreme left above the weight data panel. VIX was dropped on these vehicles in favour of VJX to distinguish them from the VIX Ferry CCT vans in the B 889xxx range.
[Taken on a Practika MTL5B using Jessop CT100 film and scanned from a print]
36 ton Ferry Van.
DETAILS OF THIS VEHICLE.
Location : Hoo Junction Yard.
Date : 26/07/1987.
Type : 20 ton capacity Ferry Van.
Weight : 35.5 t GLW / 15.5 t Tare.
Number : DB 787299.
Number Series : GB 787098 to GB 787347.
Builder : 1963-64 by British Railways Ashford Works.
TOPS Code : ZSX (ex VJX).
UIC Code : Hfs.
Designation : FERRY VAN.
Lot No. : 3472.
Diagram No. : 1/227.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
British Railways built 400 of these long wheelbase ferry vans for use on the Dover-Dunkerque and Harwich-Zeebrugge train ferries carrying general freight merchandise. When built they were branded FERRY VAN but this changed to the branding shown on this vehicle with the BR double arrow logo. There were two lot constructed the first being GB 786873 to GB 787022 (150 vehicles) built by the Pressed Steel Co. The second batch of 250 being built by BR as depicted here. Although built with BR van fleet numbers in the 786xxx and 787xxx range they were soon allocated UIC 12 digit numbers for working into Europe.
By the late 1970's BR had largely pulled out of wagon provision for general freight to the continent leaving the market in the hands of wagon leasing companies and private owners. Many of the BR Ferry Vans thus went into department use either as vans or with the bodywork removed and used as runner wagons or bogie carriers. The vans became a regular sight as barrier vehicles on dangerous goods trains and coded RBX. The bogie carriers became ZVX and runners ZSX. The vehicle seen here had arrived at Hoo Junction as a VJX but was re-coded as ZSX by the C&W staff hence the signs of new paint on the number which had changed from B 787299 to DB 787299. Also the TOPS code has changed to ZSX in place of VJX however the observant will notice it still carries a VIX code too on the extreme left above the weight data panel. VIX was dropped on these vehicles in favour of VJX to distinguish them from the VIX Ferry CCT vans in the B 889xxx range.
[Taken on a Practika MTL5B using Jessop CT100 film and scanned from a print]