Description
The D418 fruit and milk van was a three compartment van of which 25 were built in 1893 to drawing 970. All were originally oil lit and it may be that some were converted to gas, probably between 1892 and 1902, when the 6-wheeled carriage conversions were undertaken. Parts for gas lighting are included. It is likely that torpedo ventilators were added at some stage after 1902, two per compartment either side of the gas lamps.
It is known that instructions were given in 1904 for handbrakes to be fitted to non-passenger coaching stock. Presumably this instruction included fruit and milk vans but no photographic evidence has come to light. A handbrake has been provided based on other NPCS vehicles. This requires the removal of parts of the steps to give access to the lever. The actual date of fitting if at all is not known.
Eleven vans survived to 1933 but they were extinct by September 1944, with the exception of a departmental van, which survived to 1956.