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Thomas & Friends

LNER 12 Ton Vans are rolling stock used for transporting goods and materials on the railways, such as the North Western Railway. They are also simply known as vans or trucks in the UK narration or box cars or cars in the US narration. These vans are the most common type of vans to have appeared in the television series.

Biography[]

LNER 12 Ton Vans are the most common trucks following 7-plank trucks. Prior to the eighth series, they were the primary carriers for goods, such as fruits and vegetables and meat. They are also used for The Flying Kipper vans any other private company. After the eighth series, the use of them has declined as trucks now carry goods more primarily, however, they are still common.

Personality[]

Sentient vans fall into the category of Troublesome Vans.

Technical Details[]

Basis[]

The LNER 12 ton vans are based on the real LNER Diagram 102 12 Ton Vans that are used on the railways, such as British Railways.


Types of van designs:

Livery[]

The LNER 12 ton vans are painted in different liveries, such as orange, grey, brown, black, white and red, all in either the same or different shade. Since the seventeenth series, all of these vans were painted in the same shade of cream, though two blue vans appeared in the twenty-second series episode, Rosie is Red. Some vans were also seen in another shade of blue in Steam Team to the Rescue. In Big World! Big Adventures!, vans in Africa were painted light grey. Lei, a Chinese van, is painted magenta. All of these vans have standard grey faces.

Privately-owned LNER 12 ton vans, such as the ones owned by Mr. Jolly's Chocolate Factory, have their company's name, initials or logo painted or placed on both sides. They are also painted in their company's livery.

Appearances[]

Thomas & Friends

Specials

Music Videos

Learning Segments

Videos

Books

My Thomas Story Library

Annual Stories

Magazine Stories

Video Games

Trivia[]

  • A Chinese van named Lei is the only known van of this design with a name.
  • In the seventh series, scratch-built vans were made, albeit with their vents raised and smaller than their previous counterparts. These vans coexisted alongside the regular type until the show's transition to CGI.
  • The Salt Vans in the CGI era are modified from these vans.
  • All scratch built vans from the seventh series to the twelfth series have raised vents; this was most likely done to allow for easier use of the larger face masks. Many more of these vans were built for the eighth series, although they were not used as much due to the fact that open wagons ended up being used for all Troublesome Trucks.
  • Every van starting from the CGI series has a wet stain on one side.
  • One of the vans used to be on display at Drayton Manor. Three of these vans were for a time on display at Drayton Manor during construction, and a tenmille van used to be on display at Nitrogen Studios.

Merchandise[]

References[]



--- Dropped | * 1991-1994 maps only | ** 2014 map only
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