Rapido Trains UK unveils wooden-bodied sister to its ‘Iron Mink’ vans.

The GWR used the telegraphic code ‘Mink’ for the majority of its general purpose vans. The code is most closely associated with the distinctive metal-bodied ‘Iron Minks’ and so it’s often forgotten that the GWR built thousands of wooden-bodied ‘Minks’ from 1892 until the 1940s.

Rapido Trains UK is delighted to add two diagrams of wooden ‘Mink’ to our growing range of rolling stock: the Diagram V14 and the Diagram V16. Both were introduced in 1912 and
were virtually identical: the Dia. V14 had vacuum brakes whereas the V16 was unfitted. They shared the same body, underframe, ‘W’ irons, DC III brakes and axleboxes.

They were both upgraded from 10t capacity to 12t in the mid 1920s. The last of the 5,506 Dia. V14 ‘Mink As’ were built in 1927; production of the Dia. V16s had ceased in 1923 and ‘only’ 2,759 were built.

Our GWR Dia. V14 & V16 vans boast an impressive spec:

• Two types of roof style
• Two types of door
• Different brake equipment
• Spoked or disc wheels running in metal bearings
• NEM coupling pockets
• UK designed
• Fine detailed plastic bodies/chassis with metal parts