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

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

 

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

 

Absolutely stunning !

Bob.

 

A gresley teak returns to service , 3rd coach

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30267534

The inside looks good too

 

Excellent. How many on service now on the SVR?

 

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

 

Thanks.

 

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."

 

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

Steven

 

And the latest here including the appeal:

http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/6045-restoration.html

Though it seems a bit daft discussing this under the current title. Perhaps a GWR or pre nationalisation coaches thread would be better?

 

Great Northern Teak 2701 has taken the place of 43600 in C&W

http://www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk/news_letters/Newsletter_39-2014.pdf

 

Recent GWSVRA update here:

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

 

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?

 

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.

 

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:—



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.

 

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.