[Airehead]

I'm currently looking for images of LMS D1666 5 Plank Opens, D1808/1812/1830 ventilated vans or D1661 cattle vans in either LMS or BR guises. I have already searched through Paul Bartletts fantastic site but I'm trying to gather as much as I can!

Drawings of all would be greatly appreciated if possible aswell as recommendations for research sources in addition to the usual collection of Essery works.

 

[34C]

Welcome, and I think you are on the right track with the late Bob Essery's books, and Paul Bartlett's archive.

My own interest is GNR, LNER, into BR(ER), and the last is what I model, 1955-62. The goods traffic is dominated by LMS, LNER and BR wagon designs, as that's what I recall seeing and the contemporary photos confirm. 80% of the wagon stock BR inherited came from the LMS and LNER, so I need those and the new BR designs en masse, and a light seasoning of characteristic vehicles from the minor railways.

By the late twenties it had dawned on the LMS and LNER that their joint interest in moving the bulk of the UK's freight would benefit from having common designs of goods vehicles, where these did not already exist; and a swathe of shared designs were the result, and transferred into BR's subsequent wagon programme. This is covered very well in the LNER wagons series by Peter Tatlow, volume 4B. (There is probably equivalent information in an LMS oriented publication, but obviously you only need one to have the essentials of this.)

Have fun!