PRE-NATIONALISATION COACHES
Page updated 5 May 06
Minor update 2 Aug 06
Image added 14 Sep 06
New entry added 25 Sep 06
Updated 4 March 07
New entry added 19 Oct 97
How this page is supposed to work….
This page contains nine entries corresponding to the nine pre-nationalisation
coaches we have on site, plus an appendix containing three pre-nationalisation
vehicles that have now left us.. For
each entry there is an illustration on the left, whilst on the right is a link
to further information which is held on the Vintage Carriages Trust Carriages
Register (VCT) site. The link gives a
broad description of the coach, whilst we add a bit of narrative below. Selecting the link will take you to the VCT
site where formal, and rather technical details of the vehicles are held – and
another better (but older) photo. If you
need to know things about the lot number or diagram number this is the link to
follow. To return from the link, use the
RETURN button on your browser. Many of
our photos were taken in the depths of winter, (20 December 2005) and we will
replace them as soon as possible so you have an up-to-date and brighter image.
None of the nine entries included here
belong to the Company, all are privately owned.
Therein lies the threat to these vehicles, either the owners are so
wrapped up in operations on the railway that there is insufficient time to work
on the coaches, or there is insufficient commitment to invest the large sums of
money required to restore such vehicles, the more so since their operational
future is far from certain. The
situation is made more difficult by the lack of covered accommodation. Indeed if there were a surfeit of such space
it would be used by the Company for its own stock, and rightly so. It is very difficult to restore coaches out
of doors, to attempt do so 1250 feet up a mountain is tantamount to
madness. Many of the individuals in
coach restoration are slightly potty – in the best British tradition of course
– and this is fortunate for many elderly coaches in the UK. All possible preservation avenues will be
explored before any are sold for scrap.
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SR
4958 Post Office Tender Vehicle built 1939 This is 1939 Post Office Tender
(POT) No.S4958S, which arrived from the Mid-Hants railway on 10 October 2007,
and which, since withdrawal from the main line, had served as a annex to the
loco shed at Ropley as a tool and spares store. Prior to that she served on the Waterloo to
Weymouth mails (via Southampton) and in her final years on the Victoria or
London Bridge to Dover mails. A
failing roof covering and a rotten summer during her last year at Ropley had
conspired to cause significant damage both inside and out but work has
started immediately to correct matters.
It is owned by a seven man consortium.
It is not planned to use the vehicle on service trains, but as a
static element in connection with our Santa Specials. She is seen here immediately upon
arrival. The other side was in blue
and grey, but is likely to be returned to carmine or maroon. |
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LMS 378
12 wheel First Sleeper built 1950 This massive 47 ton
vehicle, built out to the extreme width of 9ft 3ins, is carried on a pair of
six-wheel bogies. It arrived at
Furnace Sidings on 19 September 2006 from the Churnet Valley Railway, having
been previously at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It is intended to use this vehicle to
provide sleeping accommodation for our volunteers. For this reason it has no batteries or
battery boxes, and no brake gear, but is fitted to receive shore supplies of
electricity and water. Although built
after nationalisation by BR in 1950, it was designed by the LMS and is
therefore properly included on this page.
It has enjoyed several months in the top shed whilst weatherproofing
and cosmetic work were undertaken, but has now been returned to the yard
following a quick paint job. |
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GWR
9605 Restaurant Composite built 1930 These are the sad remains
of a fine Restaurant Composite (RC).
The only survivor of a vehicle built to diagram H38, and to luxury
standards. Although apparently gutted some
of the internals are stored at
Blaenavon, and even in its current state, it is not beyond redemption, given
time, money and effort. THIS VEHICLE IS OFFERED
FOR SALE TO ANY GROUP THAT WILL TAKE IT ON - WE REALLY DO NOT WISH TO SCRAP IT |
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Temporary photo |
GWR
231 Brake First Open built 1896 GW BFO 231 Privately owned vehicle
that has had a difficult past, and which has deteriorated markedly due to
open storage. Despite this the main
framing is essentially sound and work to reclad this historically important
vehicle has begun. |
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GWR
6479 Engineer's Saloon built 1910 GW Newport Saloon Privately owned vehicle
which has been beautifully restored by our members. In very occasional use for photographic work. Not yet in passenger service due to the
need to refit a vacuum cylinder. |
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LSWR
70 Restaurant Composite built 1907 LSWR 70 This privately owned vehicle
has a complex history both in service and in preservation. Allowed to deteriorate seriously in
preservation, it has changed hands again, and is undergoing serious
reconstruction work. The view shows
the recently installed bottomside timber which extends about 1/3 of the
length of the coach. Eventually this
is will go the full length, and explains the unevenness of the roof line. There are also details and
stories of the LSWR coaches at |
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LSWR 76
Restaurant Composite (later Breakdown coach) built 1908 LSWR 76 Another privately owned
vehicle, but which retains its existing bodysides. Both this vehicle, and the one above were
built as restaurant composites but were converted to ambulance cars during
WWII. It is partially finished in
original LSWR livery. There are also details and
stories of the LSWR coaches at |
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LSWR 1357 / SR 3193 / BR
ADS70133 Arrived
at Blaenavon on 4 May 06, this is the long sought-after brake coach, will
form a train with one or both of LSWR RCs (see above). Built in 1923, just as the LSWR was
absorbed by SR, it worked the Waterloo-Bournemouth expresses till withdrawn
from regular service use in 1959. It
was modified by removal of passenger accommodation in 1962 and worked as a
breakdown train support coach carrying tools and equipment at, amongst other
places, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Brighton and, finally Wimbledon She was laid aside in 1981, and for a variety of very odd reasons she escaped
scrapping for 25 years. Her roof is
now re-clad and watertight, and all her broken fixed windows replaced. We hope to get her new floor in before the
winter comes, and selective repanelling is imminent. Then we’ll see if we can make something
half decent out of this venerable old lady. There is a full account of
this vehicle at |
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SR
1583 4 wheel PMVY (Parcels & Miscellaneous Van) built 1951 PMV 1583 One of the last typical SR
PMVs (or Passenger Luggage Vans – PLVs – as they were known on the Southern
Railway). This example was in fasct
built by British Railways to a SR design at Ashford. This example departs from tradition by
using plywood sides, rather than horizontal planking. Privately owned (body only), in the process
of being recast as a woodworking workshop.
Repainting into bright carmine expected during 2006 |
VEHICLES
PREVIOUSLY AT BLAENAVON
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GWR 5500
Brake Third built 1934 This vehicle has been
gutted internally for use (according to the legend on the coach side) by the
‘District Civil Engineer , Newport Docks’ ) and would certainly make a change
from the endless procession of cream and brown GWR coaches were it to be
returned to its engineering black, with straw lettering. However its owner deems it beyond his
capacity to repair. It is in rather
poor condition, and the owners are considering disposing of it. This vehicle left our site
on Thursday 11 October 2007 for restoration at the Gloucester & Warwick
Railway |
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GWR
5539 5-compartment Collett Brake Third built 1928 This vehicle is believed
to be the only vehicle of this type (that is, to diagram D101) in
preservation, and is therefore important.
However its owner deems it beyond his capacity to repair. It is in rather poor condition, and the
ownerswish to dispose of it. This vehicle left our site
on Wednesday 10 October 2007 for restoration at the Gloucester & Warwick
Railway |
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GWR
261 Churchward toplight 'Snake C' Passenger Brake built 1922 BG 261 This vehicle is one of
only two loco-hauled carriages known to have left the site (the other being
BR3081 – see the BR Mark1 file). This
coach was amongst the railway’s earliest acquisitions, being obtained direct
from British Rail in 1982. There were
many ambitions for this vehicle but it was transferred to the Severn Valley
Railway, probably in the late eighties.
At the SVR substantial resources could be directed to its restoration,
to produce a much improved vehicle. It
is pictured here at the SVR. Image from VCT website, to which the above link
refers |
