Brakevans

	Brakevan 56010 was parked at Quorn on the Great Central Railway on the afternoon of Friday 29th April 2005. This is an SR design, more properly numbered DS56010 I believe. In BR days it would have probably carried a ZTR TOPS code, the white-ended air-pipes are still extant. Quite where the blue livery emanates from I don't know, but this and the "Return to Old Oak Common" branding suggest that it had a service life off the Southern Region. A similar vehicle is preserved on the Foxfield Railway.
	B954433 is a standard B.R. brakevan (TOPS code CAR), seen here in faded Speedlink-era livery at Quorn on the afternoon of Friday 29th April 2005.
	Shark brakevan 993745 (TOPS code RUQ) was included in the 7P16 Bescot - Admaston ballast train on Sunday 2nd March 2003 and is seen here at the worksite. Admaston is just west of Wellington (Salop).
	Another Shark, this time DB993777 (TOPS code ZUA) in extremely faded Dutch livery. It was parked in Bescot Engineers Yard on the morning of Friday 22nd April 2005. As traditional wagons like Dogfish and Seacows become increasingly rare, the few remaining older vehicles like Sharks stand out more and more against a backdrop of modern wagons. This effect is exacerbated by their careworn appearance.
	And yet another Shark, this time DB993826 (TOPS code ZUA) in rather faded Loadhaul livery. It was parked on the end of a rake of Seacows in the virtual quarry at Bescot on the afternoon of Tuesday 2nd March 2004. The RAC control centre in the background gives away the location. Taking pictures here isn't quite as straightforward as it may first appear. Although the subject is static the motorway is invariably busy with lorries - many of which are garishly coloured. Avoiding a big white lorry growing out of the top of the subject requires careful timing.
	The 6G29 Bescot - Walsall trip was propelled from Walsall station into the steel siding, and a similar move was done in reverse by the return working. These propelling moves were only a few hundred yards in length, but they required the use of a brakevan on which the trainman could ride and keep a lookout. An ex-SR "Queen Mary" van was provided for this train. The original van was ADS56286, which was repaired and re-painted by Bescot TMD for this working. However in the Spring of 2002 it was replaced by ADS56299 (TOPS code YTX) and the latter is seen here being propelled into the steel siding at Walsall on Monday 16th June 2003. The Walsall steel trip no longer runs. It finished in the early summer of 2004 at about the time the cement terminal started operating.