What is a shock absorbing van?

Initially produced in the 1930s, shock-absorbing wagons were specifically introduced for the carriage of fragile cargoes such as glassware. Springs connected the wagon body to the chassis.

In addition to the buffers, these springs provided a little extra protection to sensitive cargoes, especially during shunting operations. Inevitably shock-absorbing vans were built slightly shorter than most other wagons. This allowed the wagon to 'travel' on the chassis, thus helping to absorb additional motion.

Shock absorbing vans could normally be recognised by the three vertical white stripes that were painted on their sides and ends, thus making them more readily identifiable during shunting operations.