The platform will need to be as long as the longest rake of coaches you are running plus the length of the engine....
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How long should a station platform be?Read more -
What is a wash?Read moreWashes are highly diluted paints used to bring out the detail in your model and enhance the appearance of the base...
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What is a NEM pocket?Read moreNEM couplings are part of a universal coupling system for model railway rolling stock. They were introduced as a...
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Why is the UK railway scale called 00?Read moreThe UK railway scale is called 00 gauge (pronounced "double-O") due to its origins as a smaller alternative to the...
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How to turn a percentage gradient into a fraction gradientRead moreWhen working out the gradient for an incline on a model railway, your research may well uncover advice and tolerances...
What is the purpose of a brake van?
Brake vans (originally called break vans) were first employed on early industrial tramways and cableways to provide braking should coupling fail. They were needed because early wagons didn't have brakes of their own. These types of wagons are known as un-fitted wagons.
As the railways developed through the 19th century, many practices from the early tramways were inherited, including the use of brake vans.
Brake vans started to appear with enclosed cabins for the guard and creature comforts such as a seat, fireplace and stove were installed. Brake vans also carried a variety of tools to assist the guard with coupling, breakdowns and emergencies. As trains got longer and heavier, brake vans were also used to help with regular service braking as well as runaway situations.
The use of brake vans on un-fitted and part-fitted trains remained commonplace until the mass introduction of fitted wagons during the 1960s and '70s and even longer in some circumstances.
Posted in: Rolling stock
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