Passenger brakevans of this type were built as class _DD_ class from 1888 to 1893. They were numbered 1 - 44. By 1910 four more vans were added to the class from similar type vehicles in Joint Stock service.
In the 1910 recoding they were reclassed to 'C'.
By the 1950's these vehicles had run many miles and in need of replacement. They were given new underframes and the bodies were rebuilt. In some cases the body frames were retained and new exteriors applied.
From the 1900's, some of the vans were fitted with end doors and vestibule connections. These vans ran until the 1950's. When the bodies were rebuilt, the connection framework was covered over.
Some new vans were built in the 1950's. These new vans were numbered 1 - 15. The few C vans in this range were renumbered. These new vans were reclassed to _CA_ later and the history is on that page.
Another interesting feature of these vans is the 'ducket'; a small box with windows on the side to allow the guad to look down the side of the train. 'Duckets' are a later modification and for some reason were not always applied to both sides of the van. Some vans had 'duckets' fitted to both sides and some only to one side.