This page is to help the 4mm modeller in the choosing of the correct vans for their modelling period and who supplies the relevent kits.

The table below highlights the relevent vans which the drawings for which were called 'Diagrams' by the LMS.  Each Diagram has a four digit number.

More information can be found in Essery and Morgan 'The LMS Wagon', and Essery 'Illustrated History of LMS Wagons, Vol.1'.  Both books are unfortunately out of print and are like gold dust in the second hand book trade.

In the case of D1812/1830 & 1808, there are very few differences between these vans, and I would suggest that you refer to a photograph of a prototype.  The diagrams for this van appear in Essery's latest LMS wagon books published by Wild Swan.  Another source of useful pictures, still in print, is Geoff Kent's 'The 4mm wagon, Part 2' again published by Wild Swan.  This has many photos of LMS vans, along with pictures of GWR, SR and LNER vans.  Remember if you are modelling the LMS then you should have a collection of wagons and vans covering all the different companies as many goods vehicles were classified as 'comon user', hence didn't need to be returned whence they came.

Ventilation

This is an area which can trip you up.  The early wagons were distinguished between unventilated and ventilated types by their diagram number.  Later vans were all ventilated.  However, some vans had roof vents, others did not.  The official diagrams of the Gloucester Wagon Company built D1828 were unventilated, however many pictures of these wagons show vans with end vents.

D1677 was an oddity in terms of ventilation as it had two end vents, GWR style.  LMS end vents were usually singular and placed centrally at the top of the end panelling.  However this diagram had two end vents, one at each top corner.  This may have been an experimental diagram as this type of ventilation was not adopted for later diagrams, and only 50 were ever built.

In terms of whether or not a wagon was fitted with roof vents, the modeller should refere to prototype photographs in the books mentioned.

Brakes

Unfitted stock usually had Morton Brake gear, with one brake shoe per wheel, and long hand brake levers.  The fitted stock either had Morton gear adapted by the addition of a vacuum cylinder, otherwise a system using two brake shoes per wheel with a short brake handle was utilised.  Wagons with the two brake shoes per wheel (also called clasp brakes) had seven leaf springs mounted on coiled springs attached to J-hangers, significantly different to the traditional five leaf spring.  The axleboxes for these vans were also different, in that they were flat fronted and not ribbed.  Unfortunately, there isn't a casting for this specific spring and axlebox available in 4mm scale. Vans built to Diagrams 1891, 1897, 1978 and 2039 differed very slightly in terms of their dimensions, and so the one kit from Ratio can cover all four diagrams.  However, there was greater difference between the fitted and unfitted wagons to these diagrams, and again the modeller is directed to pictures of the prototype for detail differences.
 
 

Diagram Number	Built	Number Built	Prototype Notes	Model Kit Notes
All wood body, wooden ends 12ton 9 foot wheelbase, external bracing to left of side door
D1664	1924-26	2544	unventilated	ABS Kit, comes in two forms, with or without ventilators
D1676	1924-29	3290	end and roof vents
D1677	1925	50	GWR style double end vents and roof vents	The ABS unvented kit could be bashed to represent this van.
Wood body, Type 1 early metal ends, 12ton 9 foot wheelbase, external bracing to left of side door
D1663	1924-26	850	unventilated	ABS Kit, comes in two forms, with and without ventilators
D1832	1929-30	3116	end and roof vents
All Steel vans, built by outside contractors, two styles, one with external bracing on the door, other with internal bracing on the door. Type 1 early metal ends, 12ton 9 foot wheelbase
D1828	1929-30	1000	some unventilated, most ventilated	Cambrian Kit - external door bracing, Gloucester built wagons
Vertically planked body, Type 1 early metal end, smooth side to left of door 10 foot wheelbase
D1812	1930-31	1050	roof and end vents	No kit known for this type of van
D1830	1931-32	2405	2000 of these were fitted with vacuum brake, vented, 3'6" wheels
D1808	1932-33	1100	mainly unfitted Morton brake, some had 3'6" wheels, vented
Horizontally planked body, Type 1 early metal end, smooth side to left of door 10 foot wheelbase
D1814	1933	999	ventilated, roof and ends	No kit known for this type of van
Horizontally planked body, Type 2 steel ends, vertical bracing on sides either side of door, 12ton 10 foot wheelbase
D1891	1934	2996	These diagram differed slightly from each other in terms of internal dimensions, and side door size, with variations of no more than 1"	Ratio Kit.  Warning - diagonal strapping on the sides was a later addition, possible BR.  Dapol/Bachman version has diagonal strapping, hence the LMS grey painted model is incorrect.
D1897	1035-36	7500
D1978	1937-39	2000
D2039	1940-44	8646
Later Plywood vans outside the scope of this study, to be added to the list at a later date.