Motor Luggage Van (Class 419)

The special feature of the MLVs was that they could work over non electrified lines using battery power, mainly to allow them to proceed onto the extremities of the pier lines at Folkestone and Dover. The MLVs could work singly, hauling a limited load and in multiple with EP type stock.
The vans were initially mainly restricted the South Eastern Division working boat trains from Victoria to the Channel Ports and also some internal mail trains overnight, sometimes hauling vans as part of these duties (from Ashford via Canterbury to Ramsgate was a regular turn with vans in tow). They also worked regularly to Newhaven Harbour.
The amount of luggage and registered traffic on some boat trains was sufficient to require the use of two MLVs and a 2x MLV+12 Cep (or Cep+Bep+Cep) formation with a conductor rail index of 16 which was near the limit of the power supply and also had an excessive power to weight ratio. This led to the conversion of six former loco-hauled BGs at Selhurst during 1968 into Trailer Luggage Vans (TLVs) 68201 - 68206. These vehicles, with no cabs, were unpopular and caused shunting difficulties, particularly at Victoria and as traffic declined the TLVs were all withdrawn from this use in 1975, one MLV being adequate for all the traffic.

By 1985, with a further decline in boat train traffic, surplus MLVs were working more on mail trains and about this time all were fitted with Speed Sensors, a device to prevent the driver selecting neutral on the master controller above 6MPH without a full brake application being made, thereby circumventing the 'deadmans handle'. The units were then able to be used for 'Driver Only Operation' (Non-passenger) or DOO NP. An agreement with the trade unions allowed lines to be cleared for such operation only after a regular train had operated over them for a period of six months, and therefore MLVs increased their sphere of activity quite considerably, with regular diagrams from London Bridge to East Grinstead/Horsham and from Brighton to Seaford/Littlehampton/Bognor whilst these routes were DOO cleared for ECS trains. They ran singly and empty on these workings.
Several different sources state that an overnight mail train from London Bridge to Ashford was diagrammed for a MLV and this was diverted regularly via Redhill due to engineers possessions. When so routed it was booked to have loco assistance from Redhill to Tonbridge, but on a few occasions when there was no loco available it had run from Redhill to Tonbridge using the traction battery supply. This required the co-operation of the local signalmen as a signal stop at Godstone, Edenbridge, Penshurst or outside Tonbridge would almost certainly mean the train would be unable to restart again, and a clear run was essential. These must have been the longest runs attempted on battery power, this line being virtually flat.

The penultimate MLV 68009 (419 009), in "Jaffa Cake" livery, seen on display at "Woking 150" 30th May 1988.

photograph by Colin Duff

Also seen in in "Jaffa Cake" livery, MLV 419005 as photographed at Dover Priory during summer 1988. This has the earlier version of this livery, without the two black stripes bordering the orange band, as in the above photograph.

photograph by Ian Fossey

Another colourful scheme in the life of a MLV! 419001 is seen here in Royal Mail Livery on the 25th May 1989 just north of Gatwick Airport.

photograph by David Smith

This picture of 419004 (68004) captures it not only during its brief period in Royal Mail livery but also provides a very useful glimpse of detail on its roof.

photograph by David Smith

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This page was last updated 6 October 2007