Vanwide B783717 is one of 2 box vans acquired by the Avon Valley Railway Heritage Trust (back then known as Bitton Light Railway Company) in the late 1990’s. This vehicle had been owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and was based in Long Marston in Warwickshire. Upon the closing of the site by the MoD, it was put up for sale by tender. No information prior to this time is currently known about either vehicle.

The Bitton Light Railway Company had a selection of wooden bodied ex Port of Bristol Authority (PBA) unfitted box vans that were used for on-site storage that were in need of a significant bodywork repair but had good running gear. The MoD wagons were purchased by the Yorkshire Engine Company for conversion to chalk tipplers, for use at the quarry that supplied the now closed Barrington Cement Works. This conversion would entail the removal of the body and continuing to use the running gear. Thanks to a volunteer who worked within the MoD, a deal was struck where we took two of the box vans that had a good body and running gear, and then sent two of our box vans that had poor body work in their place for conversion by the Yorkshire Engine Company. This is how B783717 and B78739 came to Bitton.

The numbers used for both vehicles are currently fictitious because they had no original BR markings on them when they arrived on site. They have other cast marking that indicate things like build date, general overhaul date and the like, but nothing that explicitly stated its number. As such, this information was used by volunteers to make a “best guess” at a potential number range that could be used for these vehicles and the above 2 numbers were selected.