Dawlish Camping Coaches

On the radio today Brunel Camping Coach Park is to close at the end of this summer. I think there are eight Mk 1s there, drastically modified inside.

 

Are they grounded bodies or on bogies?

 

You could look them up on the VCT carriage register, looks like someone bought a job lot of Restauraunts

BR 1991 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1961
BR 1951 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1960
BR 1934 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1959
BR 1931 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1959
BR 1930 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1959
BR 1927 Mk 1 Unclassed Restaurant Car (now Camping Coach) built 1959
BR 1015 Mk 1 Restaurant Second Open (now Camping Coach) built 1960
LMS 45046 Inspection Saloon (now Camping Coach) built 1941

 

Cheers, was just wondering how much use they'd be if they are to be sold.

 

There was another post on here somewhere about the coaches, they are i am lead to believe in poor condition.

 

Something to do with the WSRA been offered some of the coaches but decided they are in a too poor a condition, and the cost of getting them out as a crane will have to be used. Also at the same time the WSRA said it was going to cost £25,000 to repair the outside of the camping coach at Blue Anchor. So must be on the now removed forum about the WSRA.

 

They were on the TV news tonight, the end panel of one of them was quite perforated.

 

A possible source of spare parts if they become available?

 

Had a few days in the LMS one about 5 years ago. They are still on bogies and probably relatively complete if the one we had was anything to go by - obviously some conversion has taken place but ours seemed to be relatively original in terms of retaining the corridor, having the saloons at either end and then 3 smaller compartments (one bedroom, one kitchen and one bathroom). Have to say that apart from the novelty value they probably aren't that appealing as holiday venues these days - the suffer from the same problems as older caravans - boiling hot when the sun is out and freezing cold first thing in the morning (we were there over Easter). Didn't help that some joker had managed to align an expansion joint in the up line right alongside the main bedroom. Every morning we were woken up by the first up train bouncing over the joint!

To be fair that site has a history in its own right as I think it was set up as a holiday venue for GWR staff and remains in the ownership of the GWR staff association - albeit long after it became Western Region etc. Cant't imagine being right on a salty exposed coastline does the bodywork much good.

 

The links provided by jsm8b record poor condition of body and underframes, being affected by salt, and a date of 1999 for repainting. One can only assume, that some sixteen years later they are, most likely, in an even worse state.

 

They may be in poor condition but there is a recognised shortage of Mk1s and spares, does that mean that they might yet have some use?

 

I doubt there is a shortage of Mk1 spares at all as they have been used in their hundreds on preserved railways since the early 70s. A lot have been broken for spares over the years and the scrap yards like Snailwell and Booths have been raided on numerous occasions for bits (done it myself plenty of times back in the day). There is a lack of sound bodies to bolt the bits too and a lack of skilled labour to repair the corrosion of the last six decades. Also for many years there has been a merry-go-round of bogies as it has been easier to source a replacement pair rather than overhaul a set. Now there are few BR1as, Commonwealths and the like left in good condition so its crunch time and time to start the repairing and overhauling process.

That's the real problem. The Dawlish coaches are knackered and fit for razor blades. I went and had a good look at the Pullman camping coaches at Marizon before they were disposed off and the underframes and bogies were paper-thin and beyond repair. THe Mk1 bodywork would I imagine be absolutely ruined. With the exception of the aluminium window frames, door locks and handles and maybe some surviving internal fittings I cannot envisage anything being of use

 

any think left of any of these

 

Zoopla. For sale;



http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/de...58bada8778324f19dba81beec#Em1HPEW0VzC5sZgp.97

 

Railway carriage holiday park sells for £261k at
auction http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-37864734

 

It looks like the days are numbered as the site has got planning permission from part camping to static homes, although the planning permission was granted before the sale of the site

 

As others have said, I don't think there's much to be had in the way of spares from these coaches, and with hundreds of Mk 1s in the fleets of heritage railways there is a present and growing cottage industry in the provision of brand new spares, albeit at substantial cost in the case of (for example) wheel tyres. This is a particular area where railways really need to get together to get bulk discounts.

 

I can remember staying in some old Pullmans that were parked along the beach just east of Penzance, at a place called Marazion. Recently looking online I see that site was redeveloped so I don't know what happened to old Pullmans that had been there. I am guessing they were all scrapped but it would be nice to hear if any were saved.

 

My wife took me there for my 60th birthday, we stayed overnight in Flora Pullman car which was very nice, the station is well worth a visit lots of old memorabilia you can just have a tea or coffee and a look around but you cant go inside any of the Pullmans, only if you have booked an overnight stay can you do that.