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Pre-Nationalisation Coach Restorations, ex-End of the Line thread

Discussion in 'Heritage Rolling Stock' started by Southernman99, Nov 16, 2014.

  1. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    Just to show what the SVR can achieve in restoration I refer you to Excursion Brake 650

    http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/650_restoration.html

    It is allmost too good to allow passengers to use it
     
  2. K14

    K14 Member

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    Beautiful job. The punters will love it; 1289 at Didcot is by far the most popular vehicle in use despite the layout being similar to a TSO - but you don't notice that as you're smacked about the face with Art Deco anywhere you look :)
     
  3. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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  4. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    Absolutely stunning !

    Bob.
     
  5. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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  6. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Excellent. How many on service now on the SVR?
     
  7. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    6 LNER plus 1 GNR in the working set plus two under repair. One the kitchen car is complete as a vehicle so could go out in service but needs the kitchen finishing off. The other is the best parts of a full brake and a pidgeon van which is being refurbed at Bewdley so the total will eventually be 9
     
  8. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    It saw service at the spring gala a couple of years ago in the teak set behind Bittern.
    I must say the new interiors really improve the teaks no end, absolutely splendid.
     
  9. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Thanks.
     
  10. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    With 650 nearing completion on the SVR hands have turned to the next coach

    "The Great Western (SVR)Association's new project has started following the near completion of 650. It is the restoration of GWR Bow-ended Composite 6045. Built in 1928 this Corridor Composite to Lot 1382 Diagram E132 it has four first class compartments and three third class compartments and is the only surviving composite bow ended vehicle which were built in large numbers between 1923 and 1929. In all 623 corridor coaches were built with only minor differences. They had doors to each compartment and attractive mahogany interiors similar to the compartment in 9103."
     
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  11. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    That's good news - a design know to many through the Hornby "representation" (also served as a Maunsell CK with a different roof!)

    Steven
     
  12. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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  13. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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  14. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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  15. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Question , I've been racking my brains and I can't think of any operational bow ended GWR coaches

    SVR don't have any , SDR don't and I can't think of any at Didcot .
     
  16. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    I don't think there are any (yet). Just one example where at one time such vehicles were plentiful but only one or two are ever likely to be put back into operational condition.

    IIRC there is also one on the SDR?
     
  17. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm curious as to why . Most GWR stock restored is the later Collett Vehicles , a few Hawksworth's and a few Toplights (SVR plus Swindon & Cricklade)

    GWR SVRA now has three 4786 (Kidderminster station sleeping coach) 6045 and 5043 plus @1472 you are right in that the SDR has one 4872 (an 813 fund vehicle ). SDR has a second 6515 which whilst built as a corridor brake is now an open plus disabled

    I've found two at Didcot 4553 and 5085 and one post refers to there being seven Bow ended GWR coaches in preservation . Didcot also have 1184 which is a full brake

    Found the seventh 4777 under restoration at Long Marston
    http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=198

    Two more found on the west Somerset Railway 4546 and 5131 . Llangollen has 5102
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
  18. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    I suspect that the later vehicles were easier to put back into service & that only now is attention really being turned to the other, older, often ex BR department service vehicles. Unfortunately not all the ones you list can be regarded as 100% safe or guaranteed to be restored as passenger vehicles. I wasn't previously aware of the Long Marston one - good that that one is getting attention.
     
  19. K14

    K14 Member

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    This is the primary reason. The core of the GWS & SVR fleets came from the ex-WR Control Trains, so really 'only' needed a deep clean, repaint & mechanical to put back into service. Of course, as the years have passed these have received a lot of on-going 'restoration' by the way of re-upholstery, framing repairs and re-cladding.

    Restoring an early Collett might involve a near wholesale frame replacement as well as reconstructing the interior from departmental condition as these have a rather nasty design flaw in the gutters. Essentially the cantrail is stepped in from the bodyside & the timber gutter moulding is then screwed into it through the roof sheets:—

    [​IMG]

    This is nigh-on impossible to seal, so sooner or later this arrangement leaks which can result in a complete horrorshow under the skin; 1184 had only 6 bits of rotten timber - trouble was it was both cantrails, both centre rails & both bottomsides - hence the humungous rebuild.

    Churchward, later Collett & Hawksworth stock all have a much more sensible arrangement where the roof sheet extends over the bodyside sheets & the gutter is screwed onto that. Of those, it's still the Collett that's wanting as the lower edge of the gutter coincides with the roof sheet & capillary leaking can result.

    Pete S.
     
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  20. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    Pete, I think you are almost right in your reasons for the GWS and SVR coach fleets, but most of the operable ones came from the Swindon test train, and were virtually as withdrawn from passenger service and thus far easier to restore. I think that a few vehicles were saved from the WR control trains (one or two of the SVR Restaurant cars spring to mind) but, like the ER trains, most of these had been more heavily modified and required a lot more work to get them back into use. Fortunately for GW aficionados, quite a few GW coaches seem to have survived in departmental service with relatively little alteration.
     

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