Back in the good old days of the steam railway, long before motorways and articulated lorries were even thought of, the vast majority of goods traffic was carried across the length and breadth of the country by rail. The railway companies had the legal status of Common Carrier, meaning that they were obliged by law to offer a service to collect pretty much anything from anywhere and deliver it to anywhere else. Commodities, raw materials and manufactured goods would all make their way from supplier to customer by train, clanking along the tracks behind one of the labouring goods engines which were the workhorses of the railways.

The biggest commodity of all was coal, of course, carried in open wagons emblazoned with the name of the colliery which produced it, or the factory which ordered it, or the coal merchant who would sell it. Being open to the elements wasn't a problem for coal or other minerals, but not everything could be carried safely in an open wagon in the British weather. Manufacturers wanted the cartons and boxes of their valuable produce to be kept away from the wind and the rain while they were en route to the customer, and also kept away from any light-fingered opportunists who might fancy helping themselves to a few free samples. So these goods would be safely stowed in covered vans, away from the elements and from the thieves, making sure that they arrived at their destination in top condition. Some of these vans belonged to the railway companies, and would be in sober colours with the company's initials painted large on the side. But manufacturers who regularly sent large consignments by rail would find it more economical to have vans of their own, which they could paint up in their own distinctive liveries to act as a mobile advertisement while in transit. And the goods trains of the era would see these vans coupled up together, along with an endless variety of other wagons of all descriptions.

Bring a touch of authenticity to the goods trains on your layout with our Van Set.

Please note these wagons are boxed individually.