LNER Toad D Brake Vans

The BR 20 Ton Brake Vans are a standard type of goods brake van.

These are added to the back of a goods train and a guard rides in it. Each brake van is equipped with a strong brake to assist with slowing and stopping the train. From here, the guard can keep an eye on the train in case of problems, such as hot axle boxes, or trucks becoming uncoupled while running.

The Railway Series
Stepney used one of these brake vans to help transport four cricket players and Caroline to the Elsbridge Cricket Field after she had broken down.

Thomas & Friends
These brake vans are commonly seen on the back of goods and freight trains. They serve as Sodor's main type of brake van. The brake vans have also been used as part of the Mail Train, the Flying Kipper and the Circus Train.

A van, part of a goods train, was once waiting on a siding to let Henry and the Flying Kipper pass. The engine's crew were enjoying cocoa in the brake van. As snow had forced the signal and points to fail, Henry collided straight into the train at full speed and unable to stop. Luckily, the crew had left the train and avoided the crash.

One of these brake vans (along with the Troublesome Trucks) broke away from their engine Edward, and chased Duck down Gordon's Hill. The trucks had bumped their guard off his brake-van, and left him far behind after he had whistled a warning. Duck and his crew bravely attempted to take control of the train, but crashed through barber shop.

The Spiteful Brake Van, another van of this design, caused grief for James, Donald and Douglas. In an attempt to cause trouble for James, he urged the Troublesome Trucks to hold the train back. Douglas was called to help James' train up Gordon's Hill. However, the van found himself wedged between Douglas and the rest of the train. The guard jumped clear as the van was subsequently crushed by Douglas.

When Percy's train of Troublesome Trucks barged forward and push him down the line and into a train of stone trucks, he destroyed a stationary brake van and perched himself on top of the remains of a truck.

Bill and Ben once took a party of railway enthusiasts in a "brake van special" for a tour of the China Clay Works.

Personality
A large majority of brake vans are non-sentient. However, there are at least three known vans depicted with faces. In summary, they are described as being spiteful, elderly, and troublesome respectively.

Types of sentient brake vans:

Basis
These brake vans are based on the real BR Standard 20 Ton vans. The Elderly Brake Van and Spiteful Brake Van (TV version) share the same basis.

Livery
In the Railway Series, one of these brake vans is painted brown with a white roof and red bufferbeams.

Appearances
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Companion Volumes
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Thomas & Friends

 * Series 1 - Thomas and Gordon, Edward and Gordon, The Sad Story of Henry, Edward, Gordon and Henry, Thomas' Train, Thomas and the Trucks, Thomas and the Breakdown Train, James and the Coaches, Troublesome Trucks, James and the Express, Thomas Goes Fishing, Thomas, Terence and the Snow, Tenders and Turntables, Trouble in the Shed, Percy Runs Away, Coal, The Flying Kipper, Whistles and Sneezes, Thomas in Trouble, Dirty Objects, Off the Rails and Thomas' Christmas Party
 * Series 2 - Thomas, Percy and the Coal, Cows, Saved from Scrap, Old Iron, Thomas and Trevor, Percy and the Signal, Duck Takes Charge, Percy and Harold, The Runaway, Percy Takes the Plunge, Pop Goes the Diesel, Dirty Work, A Close Shave, Better Late Than Never, Break Van, Daisy, Percy's Predicament, The Diseasel, Edward's Exploit, Ghost Train, Woolly Bear and Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree
 * Series 3 - A Scarf for Percy, Percy's Promise, Time for Trouble, Donald's Duck, Thomas Gets Bumped, Thomas, Percy and the Dragon, Diesel Does it Again, No Joke for James, Thomas, Percy and the Post Train, Trust Thomas, Mavis, Toby's Tightrope, Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party, Buzz, Buzz, All at Sea, One Good Turn, Tender Engines, Escape, Oliver Owns Up, Bulgy, Heroes, Percy, James and the Fruitful Day and Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure
 * Series 4 - Four Little Engines, A Bad Day for Sir Handel, Home at Last, Steam Roller, Thomas and Stepney, Train Stops Play, Henry and the Elephant, Toad Stands By, Paint Pots and Queens, Fish and Mind that Bike
 * Series 5 - Horrid Lorry, Lady Hatt's Birthday Party, James and the Trouble with Trees, Gordon and the Gremlin, Bye George!, Baa!, Haunted Henry, Stepney Gets Lost, Something in the Air, Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach, Oliver's Find, Make Someone Happy and Busy Going Backwards
 * Series 6 - Salty's Secret, It's Only Snow, The World's Strongest Engine, Percy and the Haunted Mine and Thomas the Jet Engine
 * Series 7 - Emily's New Coaches
 * Series 8 - Fish
 * Series 9 - Saving Edward
 * Series 16 - Muddy Matters
 * Series 17 - Gordon Runs Dry, The Lost Puff, The Afternoon Tea Express, The Smelly Kipper, No More Mr. Nice Engine and Thomas' Shortcut
 * Series 18 - Not So Slow Coaches, Flatbeds of Fear, Missing Gator, Emily Saves the World
 * Series 19 - The Truth About Toby, A Cranky Christmas, Toad and the Whale, Helping Hiro, Two Wheels Good and Goodbye Fat Controller
 * Series 20 - Sidney Sings, Diesel and the Ducklings, Saving Time, Letters to Santa, Three Steam Engines Gruff
 * Series 21 - Dowager Hatt's Busy Day, Stuck in Gear, New Crane on the Dock, Emily in the Middle
 * Series 22 - Number One Engine, Forever and Ever, Trusty Trunky, Outback Thomas, School of Duck, Apology Impossible

Specials

 * 2000 - Thomas and the Magic Railroad
 * 2013 - King of the Railway
 * 2015 - The Adventure Begins
 * 2016 - The Great Race
 * 2018 - Big World! Big Adventures!

Music Videos
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Magazines
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Trivia

 * To date, the Spiteful Brake Van, the Elderly Brake Van and the brake van in the second series episode, A Close Shave are the only known brake vans of this design to have faces.
 * A few brake vans are on display: one at Drayton Manor, and at the Hara Model Railway Museum. The model for one of these was on display for a brief time at the British Museum in 2015.
 * Between the eighth and fifteen series, brake vans were rarely seen. Since the sixteenth series, however, brake vans have been seen more often again.
 * The brake vans seen from the first to the fifth series were made out of modified Tenmille gauge one kits. These kits are still distributed by Tenmille today.
 * In the episode Percy's Predicament, the brake van that Percy collides into is missing its duckets.
 * In that same episode, and another episode, the base of another brake van was used as a truck.

Merchandise

 * Wooden Railway (as the Spiteful Brake Van; discontinued)
 * Motor Road and Rail (discontinued outside Asia)
 * TrackMaster
 * Thomas Engine Collection Series (with Post coach; discontinued)
 * Bachmann (HO and large scale)
 * Hornby (two versions; brown and grey; grey discontinued)
 * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)