Vans

There are many different types of vans (also sometimes referred to as box vans) on Sodor, which are used to carry various kinds of goods. In the US, they are known as boxcars. Brake vans are other types of vans that are used for carrying the guard.

Single Ventilated Vans
The Single Ventilated Vans serve as Sodor's main type of van. Percy once had to deliver these vans of sugar, but on his way to the chocolate factory, he slipped on an oily track and crashed into the factory's wall. Arthur once had to take some vans of fruit, but he sped down Gordon's Hill a bit too fast, causing the vans to be destroyed and the fruit and vegetables to fly everywhere. Since the eighth season, BR Vent Vans have been known to carry other things, such as fireworks equipment and ice cream.

Basis
These vans are based on LMS 12 Ton Covered Steel Vans and LNER 12 Ton Covered Vans.

Livery
These vans are painted in many colours, like white, grey, brown, orange, etc. Since the thirteenth season, all the vans were painted cream, until the twentieth season, where the vans were given new liveries.

Trivia

 * Since the eighth season, all the vans were faceless. They regained faces in the twentieth season, however the faces were raised and the front vent was removed, although in the fifth season episode, Haunted Henry, a van had a rectangular face because the vents were removed.
 * Lei is the only known named sentient van of this design.

Merchandise

 * Meccano
 * ERTL (as Silly Trucks; discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (The Circus Train, discontinued)
 * Bachmann (normal and large scale)
 * Minis

Ice Cream Vans
The Ice Cream Vans made appearances throughout the television series.

Basis
These vans are based on LNER 12 Ton Covered Vans.

Livery
These vans are painted cream.

The Fireworks Vans
The Fireworks Vans made appearances throughout the television series.

Basis
These vans are based on LNER 12 Ton Covered Vans.

Utility Vans
Utility Vans are types of vans used to transport goods across the island. They have been seen in many liveries such as olive green, white, brown, grey and red being the most common. Some have four wheels while others have eight.

"The Flying Kipper" is primarily made up of utility vans. Though they are usually faceless, a utility van with a face was once briefly seen in the third season episode Oliver Owns Up, although the face was crooked. The Mail Train also consists of similar looking vans, that specialise in carrying mail.

Basis
The utility vans are based on the General Utility Vans, previously known as "CCT" (covered carriage trucks). These types of vans were designed for carrying parcel goods. The mail vans also share the same basis.

Trivia

 * In the first season episode, Thomas and Gordon, a utility van was used for carrying passenger's luggage, which was a part of Henry's express.
 * In CGI episodes, the amount of vents on the front and back of utility vans were reduced.

Merchandise

 * TrackMaster (used as ice cream vans)
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * Bachmann (green, live lobster refrigerator versions)
 * Capsule Plarail (ice cream vans)

LBSC Railway 8-ton Vans
LBSC Railway 8-ton Vans were frequently used from the second to sixth seasons.

Basis
These vans are based on the LBSC Railway 8-ton Vans.

Livery
These vans were mostly painted brown.

Merchandise

 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * Tomix Trains (discontinued)
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Departing Now (discontinued)
 * Nakayoshi
 * Choro-Q (discontinued)

Salt Vans
Salt Vans (also known as fish vans or ice vans), are used to carry fish and are often used in fish trains. They are also a frequent sight on the Norramby Branch Line.

The salt vans first appeared in the second season and were used frequently until the twelfth season. However, they later returned in the special, Journey Beyond Sodor.

Basis
They are based on Saxa Salt Vans.

Livery
Salt vans have been painted white, brown, grey and green.

Trivia

 * Since Journey Beyond Sodor, the Salt vans are modified versions of the single vent vans.
 * Twitter user ThomasTankMerch owns a Season 2 salt van.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway (discontinued)
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * Bachmann
 * TrackMaster
 * Motor Road and Rail

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Vans
The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Vans appeared in the show between the second and fifth season. One of these pushed Duck into a Barber Shop. These vans were later used as part of The Flying Kipper, as extra vans were required after a boat returned with a greater load of fish than usual. Duck accidentally rammed into the rear van when a faulty tail-lamp fell off on Gordon's Hill.

Basis
These vans are based on Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Box Vans. In real life, the vans are narrow gauge, but have been resized to standard gauge in the television series.

Livery
These vans were all painted brown. In later seasons, there was white graffiti on them. From the fourth to fifth seasons they are rust coloured.

Trivia

 * One of these vans had raised buffers to match the engines and other rolling stock.

Merchandise

 * Tomica
 * Waku Waku
 * Motor Road and Rail
 * TrackMaster
 * Capsule Plarail
 * Bachmann (narrow gauge)

North Eastern Railway Vans
The 'North Eastern Railway Vans first appeared in the first season and continued to appear until the eighth season episode, James Goes Too Far.

Percy once crushed one of these vans loaded with fruit in the third season episode, Percy, James and the Fruitful Day.

Basis
These vans were scratch-built. Despite having "N.E." on their sides, they are actually based on LNWR (London and North Western Railway) Non-Ventilated Vans.

Livery
These vans were mostly coloured grey and had "N.E." (North Eastern Railway) painted in light yellow on either sides.

Voices

 * Kari Tamminen (Finland: Toad Stands By, singing voice only)

GWR Ventilated Vans
The GWR Ventilated Vans made appearances throughout the television series.

Basis
These vans are based on GWR Ventilated Vans.

Livery
These vans were painted brown.

Trivia

 * Some vans have faces covering the front vents, while others have faces below the vents.

Merchandise

 * Bachmann
 * Hornby (discontinued)
 * TrackMaster (discontinued)

ÖBB Boxcars
One of these vans made a cameo appearance in the fifth season episodes, Baa! and Put Upon Percy. It was used as scrap set-dressing.

Basis
These vans are based on the ÖBB type GGm-s four-axle boxcar used on narrow gauge lines. They were sourced from Märklin, a German model train manufacturer.

Livery
These vans are painted dark brown.

Trivia

 * These vans were featured heavily in the Thomas and Friends sister show known as Tugs, as rolling stock used for the Dock Railway.

Banana Vans
In the Railway Series many Banana Vans appeared. One of these includes a van owned by the U.L.P. company, who laughed at Oliver after he returned from the works.

Basis
These vans were based on LMS Banana Vans.

Livery
These vans were painted all sorts of colours, such as brown, grey and pink.

Merchandise

 * Take-Along (discontinued)
 * Take-n-Play

Milk Van
"Do they expect me to pull that?!"

- Daisy refusing to pull the milk van, Branch Line Engines

The milk van is an old-fashioned van used for transporting milk from Ffarquhar down to the dairy at Elsbridge.

Every morning the van is coupled to Thomas' first train, the farmers send the milk to the stations and Thomas delivers the milk to the dairy. When Daisy was preparing for her first train, she refused to pull the van once it was coupled to her claiming it was "bad for her swerves", and she blew a fuse on purpose. Percy and Toby had to take the van in Thomas' absence and Daisy's refusal. However, now that Daisy has learnt sense, she sometimes takes the milk instead of Thomas.

Basis
The milk van is based on the Great Western Railway's four-wheel slatted side milk van.

Livery
The milk van is painted chocolate brown with a light grey roof and with "NW" in yellow paint on both sides. The letters "NW" were later repainted on both sides in white paint. In the My Thomas Story Library books, the milk van was painted dark blue with white lettering reading "MILK" on both sides.

Appearances
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Railway Series

 * Duck and the Diesel Engine - Dirty Work
 * Branch Line Engines - Daisy and Percy's Predicament
 * Really Useful Engines - Mind that Bike
 * More About Thomas the Tank Engine - Drip Tank
 * Toby, Trucks and Trouble - Bulstrode
 * Wilbert the Forest Engine - Foaming at the Funnel (mentioned)

Magazine stories
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 * 1988 - Percy's Predicament (mentioned)
 * 2006 - Food Chain Train
 * 2011 - Dairy Delivery
 * 2013 - Dairy Delivery
 * 2016 - Food-Chain Train

Trivia

 * In The Railway Series, the milk van is a four-wheeled wagon, while the Reverend W. Awdry's model of it was a six-wheeled wagon and based on a cattle wagon.
 * In the television series, the milk van was replaced with a milk tanker, though it was still referred to as a van.
 * In the Duck and the Diesel Engine story Dirty Work, one of these vans is seen among the Troublesome Trucks, implying they are sentient. However, the van's face is out of shot.

Merchandise

 * TrackMaster (discontinued)
 * Wooden Railway

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