GW Gunpowder Van 4 liveries

The first iron Gunpowder Van actually preceded the famous Iron Minks by some years, being built in 1885, but the diagram modeled was introduced in 1897, with further batches at intervals until the First World War. Some were converted later to Iron Minks, but then reverted to their original purpose as further hostilities loomed in the 1930s. They were very long lasting, with known examples surviving into the early 1980s. Further historical information can be obtained from ‘GWR Iron Minks’, published by the HMRS.