LNER (SVR) Coach Fund
www.lner-svr-coachfund.org.uk

Visiting B12 class locomotive No 8572 hauls the LNER set past Sterns

(October 1998) Photo Steve Allen

TRAVELS WITH GRESLEY IN THE 1990s

Adapted and updated from an article by Richard Hill

Many Society members must have nostalgic memories of pre-war summer days with the sun glinting in trains of varnished teak coaches hauled by apple green engines. Those days can never return, of course, but the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) comes as near to recreating such images as anyone is likely to more than half a century after the demise of the LNER. And this is not in a museum aspic sense but in everyday regular working of that line's passenger services. If you have not sampled the glorious delights of that wonderful valley, its river, scenery and interesting country towns, then do so soon. The cream on the cake is the best collection in Britain of working Gresleyana, thanks to the Herculean efforts of the LNER (SVR) Coach Fund - referred to in this article as 'the LNER Fund'.

First, the dry statistics of the Fund's fleet:

(a) Replaces GNR No 229; see text.

(b) Now modified to Diagram 186A, seating 50 plus four wheelchairs.

(c) Centre corridor

GNR Composite No 2701 (LNER No 42701):

 
GNR 2701 arrives on the SVR and during restoration

     
GNR 2701 is out shopped on 8th July 2008 

2701 was built at Doncaster in August 1922 as one of ten carriages to Diagram 164K. A corridor composite, it seats 21 first class passengers in 3 ½ compartments, and 24 in four rather less luxurious thirds. Despite being involved in a collision at Retford in the autumn of its first year, it ran in service until 1958, and may well have been included in the Kings Cross-Cambridge "Beer Trains". Following withdrawal, it was converted at Stratford to a Camp Coach (157), and served at Mundesley from 1959 until 1963. Entering departmental service, it ended up on isolated track at Boston, from where it was purchased by the Swineshead pub landlord for conversion to a dining room. This never happened, and it moved to another public house at Heanor in Derbyshire from where it was purchased in 1994 for restoration by the LNER Fund. Unfortunately the outside paneling was almost entirely plywood, so the LNER Fund took the opportunity of a temporary relaxation in the Thai 'teak ban' to order the panels with the help of loans and donations. On arrival, none of the original interior existed and most fittings were missing, but fortunately the Fund had available a stock of many of the 'difficult' bits. During 2001 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £84,300 towards the estimated total restoration cost of £160k. Full restoration was completed in 2008, allowing the carriage to re-enter public service in July magnificently restored to its former glories, which now include a small exhibition area. A vehicle without a brake section, it will provide the required balance of first class accommodation in SVR's teak set.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 2701

GNR Brake Composite No 229 (LNER No 4229):

GNR 229 taken on 19th April 2008 at Llangollen

This brake composite from 1912 was built at Doncaster in 1912 to Diagram 218F with a heavy Edwardian decor and gas lighting. In addition to the brake compartment it comprised two groups of three compartments providing 12 first class and 24 third class seats respectively. It was only converted to electric lighting in 1932, when it also gained Gresley 'Moulton' bogies in place of the GNR type. The original intention of the LNER Fund was to restore it to its 1912 condition after its long use at Bewdley as a mess and tool van for the GWR 4150 Group. When acquired by the LNER Fund in 1986 No 229 was repainted as No E4229E in BR blood and custard livery pending restoration - as the only authentic and acceptable scheme giving an improvement over black. Reluctantly, however, the LNER Fund disposed of this vehicle in 1996 in order to finance the purchase of a 'new' 1922-built composite, No 2701, as a more practicable addition to the SVR teak set and a fine contrast with the open thirds which make up most of its accommodation. No 229 has now moved to Llangollen, where it is hoped to restore it to service. This will be a challenging project, but No 229 should be suitable for fairly limited passenger service or as a museum exhibit.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 229

LNER Buffet No 643:

This York built vehicle was a development of the LNER's plywood bodied tourist stock buffets and followed innovations incorporated in buffet car No 2991 converted from a NER open third in 1932. It was one of six built for fast five coach Liverpool Street-Cambridge services, and each car had a kitchen (with all-electric cooking equipment, fridge and water boiler), plus a bar-counter and a saloon of four bays seating 24 passengers. These vehicles were destined to be the longest lived of Gresley designs of the 1930s and, after extensive modernisation from 1959 with propane gas cooking, survived in BR ownership until 1977 on Cambridge and excursion trains. By that time they were affectionately known as the 'wooden walls'. As modified they still retained a single 4.5 kVA generator powering the fans and a large fridge.

On transfer to the SVR in 1977 No 643 saw service until 1987, when it was withdrawn for restoration to original condition. Just prior this withdrawal, the SVR's then available four LNER teak coaches were worked as a set for the filming of 'Hannay'. Naturally, and almost inevitably, the film's producers failed to appreciate the historic significance of this event and promptly had LBSCR stickers applied to all the vehicles!

Restoration was not a straightforward job. Extensive rot appeared as the coach dried out, and it took nearly six months to make the vehicle dry enough to work on. Several areas of rotten frame had to be patched or replaced, as did every bolt or steel tie in the body. Rot also meant that most of the exterior teak panels had to be replaced with new teak. Additionally a new internal ceiling and a new bar counter were installed. So instead of a quick straightforward job, No 643 proved to be a major and costly task. But the result was to be a thoroughly overhauled vehicle as a centrepiece to the SVR LNER set.

In service on a preserved line speeds are inadequate to revert to the original all-electric cooking concept. After assessing the power requirements it was decided to fit a 10 kVA diesel generator to provide the power needed to work the traditional grill, water boiler and fridge plus a freezer and microwave. Extra heaters were also needed for washing up water and the legally required hand basin. The system has a frost-stat and allows for detection of a low water level in the roof tanks and for auto-starting to power the fridge and freezer overnight. Although No 643 is a radically different vehicle it is famed for its hot snacks and draught ale; its bar services have been well received in service.

As part of that work the SVR acquired a set of original LNER chromed buffet chairs. These were obtained via the North Norfolk Railway and the National Railway Museum from the York Railway Institute, where they had been used after being withdrawn from buffet cars in process of modernisation. But in daily use these proved unpopular for today's passengers and these free-standing seats have been replaced by surplus BR Mark 1 seating, retaining the generously proportioned 2+1 arrangement. Eventually it is intended to 'Gresley-ise' their appearance when re-upholstery becomes due. The LNER chromed seats have found a new lease of life in the SVR's DMU Club Car.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 643

LNER Kitchen Composite No 7960:

This vehicle is nearing the end of a thorough overhaul and restoration programme. It is privately owned and was originally equipped with an all electric kitchen and pantry. It has additionally two saloons providing separate dining areas for twelve first and eighteen third class passengers. Its traditional dark mahogany and teak veneers were rather conservative compared with other LNER vehicles built in the 1930s. No 7960 was allocated to the LNER's former Great North of Scotland section and was purchased for preservation from Perth, arriving on the SVR in 1980. Following a spell in the SVR's North Star Carriage Works where mechanical work was completed and a new roof canvas fitted. Good progress is now being made with the interior, and the exterior panels have been refitted. Much of the underframe restoration has been completed as well as a full bogie overhaul. (No 7960's bogies have already spent some time in SVR traffic under buffet car No 643, while the latter's bogies were overhauled).
See Also Kitchen Composite No 7960 web site and Carriage Survey Entry for 7960

LNER Brake Composite No 24068:

This coach has a welded underframe and is one of a series of 69 Brake Composites to Diagram 175 built with Rexine interior in art-deco style between 1936 and 1940. No 24068 belonged to the LNER's North Eastern section. Most disappeared in 1964, but No 24068 had been outshopped that year, as No GE10078E, and apparently not returned to traffic. It remained in sidings at Leeman Road until 1968, when it was purchased for preservation, moving to the SVR in September 1972. Replacement ex-4COR seating was fitted, as the originals had been removed for other restorations; it also needed thorough redecoration and stripping of BR paint. Between 1982 and 1997 it carried its BR number GE10078E, the livery reflecting York's practice with unlined teak vehicles until 1952.

Following ten years' SVR service No 24068 was withdrawn in 1992 to await a very necessary brake overhaul, together with attention to other work outstanding, such as a new roof canvas, replacement of some plywood panelling and attention to the interior. It was realised, however, that with No 43612 outshopped from Bridgnorth, a then strong possibility of No 24105 being available, and the impending repainting of K4 No 3442 'The Great Marquess' as another BR black liveried engine, the spring of 1997 offered a not-to-be-missed chance of running a full LNER train. Thus No 24068 was exhumed from the depths of Kidderminster Yard and became the first vehicle to benefit from the SVR's new paintshop facility. While the full-time staff suitably modified the serviceable bogies retained from GNR No 229 (by now at Llangollen on that railway's bogies), the bodywork of No 24068 was cleaned and revarnished by volunteers to make the coach fit to act as a brake. It duly appeared with four other teak coaches and the K4 at various events and on photographers charters, forming a superb milestone in the LNER Fund's long task. Following appearances booked during 1997, including in the guise of 'Clarabelle' at 'Thomas' weekends, the full overhaul started as a joint full-time staff/volunteer project in October 1997, broken only by a brief appearance at the SVR's 1998 Autumn Gala as part of a six coach teak set to accompany the visiting ex-LNER B12 4-6-0 No 8572 from the North Norfolk Railway.

In 2000, it was outshopped, fully restored to its magnificent 1937 LNER livery, and numbered 24068.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 24068

LNER Open Thirds

The SVR has four teak open thirds to Diagram 186 from a build of 410 coaches constructed between 1934 and 1938 to a design mainly for excursion and tourist work. The basic design comprises an open saloon seating 64 passengers arranged 2+2 either side of a central gangway and with two lavatories at one end. The relative 'emptiness' of a saloon nearly 50ft in length is broken by arched fairings running from the saloon sides to the roof. As built, bucket seats of the Tourist stock type were used for all open thirds and upholstered in orange and brown 'jazz' moquette. Following complaints from passengers, the bucket seats were replaced by high-backed winged armchairs from 1946 onwards. The early batches of these open thirds completed at York in 1934, of which No 43600 is an example, were of interest as the underframes were the first of welded fabrication; this reduced the tare weight by one ton as against those with riveted underframes.

These open thirds are popular on the SVR, both with passengers and operators. Their 64-seat capacity makes them especially suited for large booked parties, whether these be of school children or pensioners, as well as for the high loadings of Santa Specials and 'Thomas' trains. They also make easier 'at-seat sales' of refreshments and the checking of tickets. But their relative 'ordinariness' and work-a-day function mean that many visitors no doubt fail to appreciate their age or the huge effort that has gone into restoring them to a standard which allows them to run turn and turnabout with SVR's other coach sets.

No 24105:

This coach was built in 1936 for the LNER's North Eastern section either by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company or by Metro-Cammell. In the early 1960s the coach became part of one of the six four-coach sets formed of ex-LNER carriages to act as mobile control trains for use in the event of war. No 24105 was the control and apparatus car in the York train, and though heavily modified its basic structure remained intact. The rebuild involved panelling over most of the windows in a skilful, almost undetectable, but reversible manner. More importantly, double doors were fitted to one side.

No 24105 came to the SVR in 1980 in the then ownership of an Erlestoke Manor Fund trustee but is now owned by the LNER Fund. It spent many years at Bewdley in use as a restoration fund sales shop. In recent years No 24105 undergone an extensive restoration at Bewdley, and after much careful thought it has been restored with access for up to four wheelchairs, retaining its control train double door modification to facilitate this. By fitting an extra half door on the side opposite to the existing double doors, wheelchairs can enter the coach from either side. This will help achieve the SVR's long term aim of having a wheelchair-friendly vehicle in each train. As modified to Diagram 186A, No 24105's seating capacity is reduced to 50 seats. One of the two original lavatories is retained, and as slightly modified it is suitable for wheelchair access - though there is insufficient room to provide a standard size disabled person's toilet.

With the aid of some spectacular fund raising the overhaul of No 24105 has been extensive, including new exterior panels, restoring the blanked off windows, repairs to the roof, rewiring, fitting heating radiators, equipping the lavatory compartment, and new floorboards. The interior cladding has been fitted using 'Glasroc GRG' kindly donated by British Gypsum. Forbo Fabrics (formerly Nairn Floor Coverings) also donated quantities of 'Vynide', a modern fire retardant material, to allow a reasonable representation of the traditional LNER Rexine finish - in this case in the grey and green scheme applied to some of the original 'tourist' coaches. Seating presented a challenge - there was none! Rather than making replicas of the allegedly uncomfortable original tourist bucket seats, it was decided to make a new set of seats based on a single example of the later (1939) seats as fitted to Diagram 186 and its successor Diagram 302 coaches.

With completion approaching the exterior was given seven coats of yacht varnish before the complex lining out and lettering, lino was laid and seating and wall furniture fixed. Attention to detail allows passengers to travel in an authentic environment. Proceeds of a 1996 charity walk were devoted to LNER pattern tables, coat hooks, authentic lamp fittings and other finishings. After a long and thorough restoration, No 24105 made its first service appearance on 6 February 1998 in the set for the 10.30am departure from Kidderminster. It was duly "christened" in the LNER Fund's traditional manner with a bottle of strong brown ale smashed on the buffer! Hopefully those who travel in its magnificence will appreciate the loving work that has gone into it.

Sponsorship from the National Westminster Bank subsequently enabled the luggage racks to be made, and fitted in time for its official launch, by Sir William Lawrence, on Good Friday of that year.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 24105

Nos. 43600:

and 52255:

These Open Thirds also arrived on the SVR in 1980; the former is owned by the LNER Fund and the latter by an individual. Work on restoring Noose 43600 and 52255 to 1935 livery was undertaken in the mid-1980s, and both coaches along with buffet car No 643 provided the Gresley presence on the SVR for many years. Although it is common to find varnish dating from LNER days on the coach ends and between the windows, all traces have usually gone from the long panels. Old sign writing occasionally leaves its outline on the teak, showing up at the sanding stage. On No 43600, not only did the original number appear, but superimposed on it was the post-1946 number 13354. During early BR days an 'E' prefix had been added to the latter and was clearly visible, but not in the officially recognised gill sans style. This one was in full pre-war style and obviously cut out of a redundant LNER transfer sheet. The interiors of Nos. 43600 and 52255 are very much a compromise with their BR Mark 1 seating. The high standards being set by Nos. 24105 and 43612 mean that in due course both Nos. 43600 and 52255 will have to be given a face-lift to give them the full Gresley treatment. Meanwhile they perform a useful work-a-day function in daily SVR services. Research at the Birmingham Reference Library, and in the Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W Company collections, has unearthed drawings of LNER bucket seats for Diagram 186 coaches. If time and funds permit, the LNER Fund hopes to build two examples to test public reaction and whether they were really so uncomfortable. If they prove acceptable, No 43600 may yet be restored fully to its as-built condition. Early in 1998 No 52255's exterior received a thorough overhaul, and as a result its cleaned, gold-sized and revarnished teak panels simply glowed.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 43600 and Carriage Survey Entry for 52255

No 43612:

This newly restored coach set another milestone against which all other LNER teak vehicle restorations will be measured. No 43612 together with No 24105 justify a visit to the SVR on their own account. No 43612 was withdrawn from BR service in 1963, after which it was used as an office until condemned in 1977. It came to the SVR in 1979 from Norwich, but original restoration was stopped in 1982. In recent years it has undergone a lengthy restoration at Bridgnorth. The first of the required new teak panels arrived in 1986 and were fitted to one side of the coach in the following year, when considerable other effort was applied to the interior panelling, freeing one of the Pullman gangways of rust and restoring interior water pipes and the buckeye coupler. 1987 also saw a brief shunt into Bridgnorth Station, partly for a photo call but also to reposition the coach to enable teak panelling of its other side to proceed. The roof was also recanvassed and heavily coated with weather proofing paint. By 1989 good progress was being made on the plumbing for the steam heating and toilets, fitting the roof tanks, brake equipment and the rechroming and fitting the sliding window units. Among equipment arrivals was a genuine LNER sink with marble patterning, discovered on a Scottish farm by a volunteer on his holiday and purchased for a fiver; this completed the pair for this coach. Attention turned to external beading and transfers, with No 43612 regaining its LNER identity after a 42 year absence. By 1992 No 43612 was on temporary bogies while it own were being overhauled at Kidderminster. As an example of the attention to detail in this year-long task, repairs to the brake rigging involved making 44 new pins on the lathe and the reaming and rebushing of 120 holes. The work of remodelling the seating and decorating its ends with Rexine was resumed, and a complete set of wall lights was dismantled and rechromed, followed by a major varnishing offensive. Between 1994 and 1996 the main tasks remaining were completion of the interior, making sixteen new table tops and LNER-style tubular steel legs, fixing LNER pattern 'smoking prohibited' roundels, installing twelve oval mirrors (framed in aluminium coated to simulate Bakelite and fixed with correct style screws), laying new lino, upholstering the seating - and knitting the luggage racks! The final touch has been the addition of some excellent art-deco wall panel pictures of scenes on the SVR.

The final result of this outstanding restoration appeared in traffic in September 1996, 33 years since it last carried fare-paying passengers. No 43612 shows how the inside of a Diagram 186 open third should look, and it provides an incentive to do something about the stark interiors of Nos. 43600 and 52255 and generally to bring the SVR's Gresley stock up to the same standard.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 43612

LNER Gangwayed Full Brake/Pigeon Van No 70759

The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund has recently acquired BGP No70759 from Buckfastleigh where it was surplus to requirements. It is a full brake with guard's compartment and fold down racks intended for the transport of racing pigeons.  It was part of the final batch of Gresley carriages built in 1943, and could possibly be the newest survivor. Withdrawn by British Rail in 1972, it became a store for publishers David & Charles at Newton Abbot. Twenty years later it moved to the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh, again being used for storage until early 2005 when the LNER Fund purchased it. Following movement to Bewdley on 17th/18th March 2005, one end has been converted (in an easily reversible manner) to serve as the Station Fund Shop, with the rest in use as a store.

There is a need for a second brake vehicle in the LNER set. Although several potentially suitable vehicles survive in preservation, all are either in use or, if any became available, would require extensive repair and restoration work before they could be useful to the SVR.

It is therefore intended to convert 70759 to a brake 3rd. The "Short" van and guard's compartment (about half the length of the vehicle) would be overhauled and restored to original condition with pigeon racks. The "long" van, which, at present contains the shop, could fairly easily be converted for passenger use by re-positioning the doors, and moving the body side uprights to accommodate windows but retaining the roof, bottom sides & ends. Several layout options have been examined, and the four compartment side corridor arrangement shown overleaf is widely felt to be the best, both for traffic reasons and for making best use of the Fund's available spares. 

It is intended to commence conversion work once 2701 is complete and in traffic. However detailed design work is in hand, and many components for the "new" 70759 have already been obtained. The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund welcomes donations towards the cost of both vehicles.
See Also Carriage Survey Entry for 70759

Gresley enthusiasts everywhere owe a great debt to those SVR volunteers working on the restoration and care of the Gresley stock on the Railway. There is still a way to go before a complete eight coach train can be seen in regular daily service. But with GNR No 2701 completed, there is now a respectable teak train of seven vehicles for general public service - and the potential for the occasional eight with the addition of composite restaurant/kitchen car No 7960. And what a great sight they make!

Before its untimely demise following the movement of a driving wheel on its axle, Gresley K4 No 3442 'The Great Marquess' and the teak train had recreated the atmosphere of the West Highland Line in a quite magical way. Sadly, both the K4 and A4 Pacific 60009 'Union of South Africa' have since left the SVR. But other visiting engines occasionally reinforce the Gresley influence deep in this GWR territory. These have included the ex-LNER B12 4-6-0 No 8572, which attended the SVR's 1998 Autumn Steam Gala (recreating the vision of 'The Day Continental') and V2 2-6-2 4771 'Green Arrow', which came for the 2007 Autumn Gala and looked so totally 'right' in combining the grace of apple green and teak. In 1992 A4 No 4498 'Sir Nigel Gresley' also visited the line in its garter blue livery days and will be a welcome partner for our teaks at any time!

With the prospect of a restored Gresley pigeon brake, No 70759 converted to a Brake Third compartment coach, SVR visitors can look forward to the sight of a full eight coach LNER teak train in the not too distant future.

In writing this article I have been greatly assisted by the LNER (SVR) Coach Fund, and in particular by the regular reports in 'Severn Valley Railway News' by Richard Gunning and Hugh McQuade on the Fund's restoration work. The Fund is always in need of support, whether it be practical help or finance. If any Gresley Society member wishes to offer support of any kind, they should contact Richard Gunning via the SVR's Bewdley office, marking the envelope for his attention; the address is Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley Station, Worcestershire, DY12 1BG.