the most beautiful train in the land

Are you sure? Take a look at the colour photos in "Big Four in Colour" by Jenkinson. Or look at the Colour Rail website and search for pre-1947 colour images. You'll notice that GWR trains in particular were a right Mish mash of old and new liveries....

 

I believe the GW SVR A that own most of the GW carriages on the SVR do plan eventually to have rakes of say 1920s, 1930 and 1940s GW coaches for example once further vehicles have been restored. For example they have 3 of the toplight coaches restored and another one they plan to do in future, so for the moment they don't necessarily have enough of one type to make up a full train so hence the need to mix up different styles.

 

They were as liveries changed, a bit like the mix of blood and custard and maroon in the BR period but it's stretching credibility a bit to have pre 1928 liveried toplight coaches surviving to the late 40s in thta condition. No criticism of the Valley it's just we are discussing the most beautiful train So on that basis the teaks win it IMHO

 

It's not really surprising that, there'd be a mish mash of both stock and colour schemes. When you consider the variety of stock inherited by the Big Four in 1923 and British Railways in 1948. Ok set trains like The Flying Scotsman would have the latest matched carriages to the latest design, but lesser expresses and more local trains would be made up of whatever was available/suitable for the service planned. For instance the Thompson TK 1623 on the NYMR does look out of place with the Gresleys' on the NYMR. By the same token there's a photo in Grosmont signal box of a "through" Thompson carriage from London Kings Cross, [attached at York I believe] on the York-Malton-Pickering-Grosmont-Whitby Town service made up of none corridor stock. Mind just look at todays' "rainbow" of colour schemes/styles on the National System today.........

 

Yes! You excelled yourself on that day Ian....almost six years ago...how time flies

 

Not a luxury train by ant stretch of the imagination but I would add this one as a contender

 

As a total contrast to my last post, ignoring the first two coaches what can look better than a set of Pullmans behind a Merchant Navy?

 

A set of Pullmans behind a King.

 

Can I suggest:

http://www.derekhayward.co.uk/BluebellRailway-1/Collections/Bluebell-2016/i-jBdCMhG/A

(Not my photo - I was out of sight, driving...)

Tom

 

Take a look at image GW12 on the Colour Rail website. It's pre-war, but a lovely photo, showing lots of variations on chocolate and cream...

 

I have to say John, the quads and the subs are both cracking sets, and I'd completely forgot about them! Not glamourous but well worth a trip to Norfolk for.

 

Hands up all those who would have loved a ride in this?

 

A ride in that would have been fun, but perhaps not in the middle truck.
Where& when was the photo taken?

 

Sounds like one for the photo puzzle!

I'm going to guess it's during or around the filming of "The Titfileld Thunderbolt", possibly on the recently closed Camerton Branch which was the film's location.

How wrong was that guess? (Probably very!)

 

I think it's a still from the opening sequence of The Titfield Thunderbolt when the Bulleid goes over the viaduct and 1401 comes trundling underneath but as @30854 says yes it is on the Camerton Branch, certainly not wrong at all.

 

A view from the road with the embankment behind the houses so on the mainline side of the Midford Viaduct https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3...4!1sYpXH5LTtLDkuU7j0U1u4YQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Another plug for NNR coaching stock as you can ride in the twin Wisbech and Upwell bogie coach there.

 

You can, in theory, but not often. I wish the Quad Arts and the veteran set including the W&U coach were out a bit more. Likewise the Sierra Leone coaches on the W&L. I know there's a fine line between preserving expensively restored stock and running it into the ground, but if their neither in service (except very rarely) nor accessible to the visitor in storage, I wonder whether the lottery money and grants requirements are really being met?

 

Ocean Saloons would be even better

 

Be totally out of gauge, but ooh yes!