Bogie brake van 2548 was built for the new mail train as part of the coach building
programme embarked on by the GSR in the mid-thirties. There were to be a number of the new design,
but only one was built. It was numbered in the same series as the earlier 57ft bogie vans but was built
like the new coaches on a 60ft underframe with flush steel panelling. Just like the coaches, it was painted in the
Great Southern maroon livery with yellow lining and crests located under each of the two centre windows.
The window arrangement was almost identical to the earlier vans with four fixed windows on each side and
small end-windows, all with protective bars inside.
Following overhaul during the CIE period the window frames were replaced with
standard sliding lights which were not chromium plated (see Locomotives & Rolling Stock, 2nd Ed., p.42).
The sliding doors were flush when closed as in the case of the earlier vans.
CIE introduced an almost identical series in 1960 (numbered 2549-2558), with the same length, width and capacity.
The main difference were Commonwealth bogies and a Bullied style triangulated frame as per the Park Royal coaches.
Van No. 2548 was still in use at the end of 1978.
