VDA sliding door van Profile and Models

200955 at the National Railway Museum in September 2010. ©Hugh Llewelyn

The fleet of VDA vans were a new design, following on from the original VAA goods van. Initially intended for use on speedlink freight services, these useful vans featured opening doors as well as sliding mechanism to reveal the entire inside of the vehicle. From the 1980s onwards, the vehicles began to converted for different uses, including conversions into open spoil carriers, timber transporters and more.
Type of Vehicle	Goods Van
Builder	BR Ashford Works BR Shildon Works
Build Dates	1975 to 1978
Total Built	1,400
Wheel Configuration	4-wheel
Operated By	British Rail EWS Ministry of Defence
Main Duties	Speedlink Freight Departmental Military
In Service Until	Late 2000s
Surviving Examples	Some in preservation or converted