BR 12 Ton Vans

BR 12 Ton Vans
Background Information
First appearance	Main Line Engines (RWS)
Last appearance	Famous Engines (RWS)
Creator(s)	Wilbert Awdry
Character Overview
Country	Island of Sodor England (built)
Technical Details
Basis	BR 12 ton covered vans
Gauge	4'8½" (1,435 mm; standard gauge)
Vehicle	Rolling stock
Type	Closed wagons
Wheels	4 each
Designer(s)	British Railways
Builder(s)	Crewe, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster or Horwich Works
Year built	Mid 1950s
Railway	North Western Railway British Railways
Owner(s)	Sir Topham Hatt

BR 12 ton vans are rolling stock used for transporting goods and materials throughout the railways, such as the North Western Railway.

Biography

The Railway Series

One of these vans were at Brendam Docks where Bill and Ben were working.

Five of these vans were once part of James' early morning goods train. He was unhappy about shunting trucks and struggled pulling the train up steep gradients.

Personality

Their official merchandise bios describe these vans as happy and silly.

Technical Details

Basis

The BR 12 ton vans are based on the real BR 12 ton covered vans that are used on the railways, such as British Railways.

A BR 12 ton van in real life

Livery

In The Railway Series, the BR 12 ton vans are painted in either the same or different shade of brown with rooftops in either the same or different shade of grey. They have words painted in white on both sides.

The Ertl toys of the BR 12 ton vans are orange with black vents and door-handle pieces. They also have standard grey faces.

Appearances

• Railway Series

The Railway Series

• Main Line Engines - The Diseasel
• Wilbert the Forest Engine - Percy's Porridge

Trivia

• The BR 12 ton vans resemble the LNER and LMS 12 Ton ones.
• The Ertl Character Card of the BR 12 ton vans says that they were pulled by James on a windy, stormy night, whereas they were actually pulled by Henry, since it references the fifth series episode, Haunted Henry. 
•  The East Lancashire Railway converted three BR 12 ton vans for passenger use at their Days Out with Thomas events. The three vans plus a converted GWR brake van have names corresponding to their colours (Poppy, Buttercup, Marigold and Blubell).

Merchandise

• Meccano
• Ertl (as Silly Trucks; discontinued)
• Bachmann (as Ice Cream vans)

Gallery

The Railway Series

Main Series

Miscellaneous

Percy pulling a van

Vans part of James' goods train

Vans part of Edward's goods train

Others

Promotional artwork

BR vans Buttercup and Poppy at a Days Out with Thomas event

BR van Marigold

Merchandise

Meccano

ERTL

Bachmann

References

North Western Railway

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* RWS only | ** T&F only | --- Dropped