Van 2
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
| Van 2 | |
 | |
|---|---|
| Van 2 running as Coach 10, Photo: Martin Ellis | |
| Built By | Brown Marshall |
| Frames | Wooden |
| History | |
| Date Built | 1873 |
| Operating | Heritage Fleet |
| Carriages | |
[edit]Background
Brown Marshall bogie van of 1873 rebodied in 1920-1.
The second Van 2 of the preservation era. Details of the first Van 2 can be found here.
Formerly Carriage 10 of the preservation era.
The Festiniog Railway bought the bodies for three bogie luggage vans from Brown, Marshall & Co. - two in 1873 and the third in 1876, and added the bogies and brakegear at Boston Lodge works following delivery. They each contained a guard's compartment, a large luggage compartment accessed externally by sliding doors and internally from the guard's compartment and a small compartment for dogs.
Van 2 is one of the oldest bogie vehicles on the Festiniog Railway and it is the only remaining bogie carriage in service to have a solely wooden underframe. In 1920/1 the vehicle was completely re-built with a new body incorporating two passenger compartments (the framework for the duckets may be original). Of the metal parts only the handbrake and running gear may come from the original.
Following the reopening of the railway in 1955 it was used on works trains and was re-numbered as Carriage 10. It was restored for passenger use in 1991 and now carries the 1920's Colonel Stephens livery. During a re-numbering exercise in 2005 the carriage regained its original identity as Van 2.
*Date: Unknown *Photo: Martin Ellis
Van 2 visited the Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon) in September 2005 for the Superpower event, reaching Rhyd Ddu only once on Friday 16 September 2005. Van 2 was accompanied by Prince and Carriage 1.