At this point, you are able to secure a pre-order of this forthcoming release item by placing a £5 non-refundable* deposit with us. Then, shortly before the item arrives, one of our team will be in-touch with you to arrange balance payment and delivery, so please ensure the correct contact details are provided for us to reach you with.

In the late 1960s British Railways required air braked stock to operate its new Air-Braked Network services – which would later be known as Speedlink -  and the Cov AB (Covered, Air Braked) van provided the answer, becoming BR’s first general purpose air braked van. Introduced from 1969, the Cov ABs had a modern appearance in comparison to the wooden box vans in widespread use at the time and the side of the van was constructed from a pair of doors, providing large openings for loading/unloading.

When the Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) was introduced in the 1970s the vans were given the TOPS code VAB, VAA, VBA or VBB. Used to transport general merchandise, the vans were often marshalled into mixed goods trains as opposed to being operated as uniform rakes and could carry all manner of general merchandise. By the 1980s their traffic was reducing and so commenced their withdrawal although a small number remained in service towards the end of the century, coming under private ownership following Privatisation.

*The deposit is non-refundable in the event that you choose to no longer purchase the item. In the highly unlikely event that we are unable to supply your pre-order due to supply issues or any other reason beyond our control, your deposit will be refunded via the payment method you paid with. For more info on pre-ordering, please visit our T&C's here. 

Frequently Asked Questions about ordering from Derails:

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept Credit and Debit card via Sagepay and Paypal on our online shop, as well as 'Buy Now Pay Later with Paypal'! With this payment option you can spread the purchase cost over 3 months using Paypal 'Pay in 3'*.

How much will it cost to send?

Here at Derails we have pretty simple postage policy: if your order is over £20, you are eligible for FREE UK 'Regular' 2-4 day shipping. If your order is under £20, you are eligible for our super-cheap £2.99 Regular 2-4 day shipping. 

What if I need this item really quickly?

At the checkout choose one of our shipping option upgrades, either 'Express' Tracked 24 at £1.99 or 'Special Delivery' Next Day at £4.99. The upgraded postage options also jump the long despatch queue too, so they are shipped at the earliest possible opportunity. Please note that 'Express' and 'Special' upgrades are not available for orders with a total value under £20.

I live outside of the UK, can you send to me?

Sorry, we do not ship overseas at this time. 

*More information on Paypal 'Pay in 3' can be found on the Paypal website here. This service is provided and financed purely by Paypal and is simply offered by Derails as an extra Paypal option for our customers.