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4449 the story

Discussion in 'Heritage Rolling Stock' started by Reading General, Jan 23, 2015.

  1. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    OK, but they are still mad to loan even one! and the other two must be living a charmed life. I think I saw 4211 in the workshop by the bridge. completely stripped down. BS told me that the bodge he put in had finally been replaced, as the wood had turned into coal. :D
     
  2. Footbridge

    Footbridge Member

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    I believe I am correct in saying that the entire working coaching stock, (20+), had their inspection over the winter shutdown. I admit that many of them are looking tired though.
     
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  3. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    A few ex works coaches in 1986. Any scruffy coach or newly arrived were repaired and repainted, so every service coach looked like these. Each coach at that time had a repaint every couple of years, and any mechanical repairs were done then.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Sorry to interupt but I too have heard somthing similer about Maj Olver, when he came to examine the SVR extension to Kidderminster he was taken on the footplate of 75069 and they got up to a similer speed. Afterward when he gave it the all clear he said somthing like 'if its good enough for 60 it should be ok for 25!' As I say sorry for the interuption but this and the early MHR memories are both very intresting.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2015
  5. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    That's what he was reported to have said at Alton. I was in the guard compartment on that test train, and I was worried there was something wrong as we flew over Butts Bridge at full pelt. At the time there was a kink in the track by the bridge, as the surveyor had correct the alinement off the bridge towards Medstead. In the brake we were thrown about like two peas in a dustbin, and then there was a screech from the brakes as we came flying around the bend into the station. We came into Alton at a good 30mph, and stopped with a hard lockup, in the station. JB was driving Bodmin of course!
     
  6. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    2015-02-12_76.JPG 2015-02-12_82.JPG
     

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  7. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    2015-02-12_83.JPG 2015-02-12_85.JPG 2015-02-12_87.JPG
     
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  8. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    5 more scanne from slides.....the first and third must have been at Stewarts Lane, when we inspected 4449...the others are at Ropley
     
  9. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    Any idea why it was in blue grey? Not a normal colour for a departmental coach.
     
  10. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    It was blue and grey before it became a departmental...when it was an Ambulance Car before it became Staff accomodation. You can see in my pics that AMBULANCE had been painted out and STAFF added. If i remember it was S7923S as an Ambulance Car, in Capital Stock. DB975406 when departmental stock
     
  11. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    Interesting, but what was the point of a post war ambulance coach? I know we had them in WWI and WWII, but for one to exist into relative modern times seems a bit strange. So do you know what it was used for as an ambulance car? And when was it converted?
     
  12. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    Pilgrims to Lourdes 1959 I think
     
  13. GWR Man.

    GWR Man. Well-Known Member

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    When you realise there might be only 2 MK1 second class sleepers left (14 scrapped) and one of these was recorded as at risk in 2008 and the other one on a private site was also last seen in 2008 so it could have been scrapped, with the first class not much better with 2 with a fair chance for the time being surviving, and 4 others last seen in 2008 and looking at the state of them they could have been scrapped by now. There could be 1 Composite on the Bluebell unless this one has been scrapped. All the Thompson sleepers which were on preserved railways have been scrapped so there are none left at all. Yes the blue asbestos in these coaches would have helped their dismiss.

    Sorry going so far off topic.
     
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  14. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Thing is though apart from a little volunteer accommodation sleepers aren't especially useful - if you want storage, you use a BG instead.
     
  15. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    A sleeping car was a worth while recourse to attract volunteers who could stay a weekend with no cost. With the loss of these coaches, not only have you lost a valuable historic coach, but you also loose a day or more volunteer work. As a loss to any railway, having fewer free staff, forces a railway into paying staff to do things volunteers did, and thus driving up costs. Like most asbestos, it's perfectly safe as long as it's contained.
     
  16. OldChap

    OldChap Member

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    The green shed at Alresford? It was taken down and stored in the open in bits up at Butts when large parts of the site was lease to the council.

    To the best of my recollection the building was emptied and most of the contents were transferred into various non running MK1 vehicles and a few Mk1 BG/GUV's. Around this time there was a push to reduce reliance on MK1's in the years following 1990 or so; literally two dozen Mk2's were resident for use on the mail line tours and service trains.

    For example there was a Mk1 BSO with mirco buffet 9377 from Scotrail delivered in the later 1980's, it had been damaged during delivery but could be (and was) repaired, it was a late build MK1 (62 or 63) and ran on Commonwealths. It was sold a few years later to the K&ESR at a loss, no spares were retained, no value for the MHR was ever realized, it just sat up at Alresford until they had enough of it

    Subsequently stocks of spares were run down and some 'store' carriages were vandalized (I believe 2 were burnt down the headshunt by the local yobs) and some stored stuff was damaged by rain/damp/exposure etc. Additionally there was a push to make all remaining MK1's (basically is was felt they only wanted to retain MK1 catering vehicles 1105, 1806, 1807, 1840, 1851) run on roller bearing bogies (Commonwealth or B4/5) and lots of 'stuff' was sold and scrapped.

    Incidentally the green shed rotted away for while up at Butts until some time after 1995 when a number of panels were saved and assembled up at M&4M as the Building groups HQ.
     
  17. OldChap

    OldChap Member

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    Yep, 4367 the Brake 3rd was the ex-Marchwood coach that JB brought in 1992 and then sold it quickly on...
     
  18. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    Disgusting! I hope the people who were responsible are not still at the MHR. All the effing miles I travelled, and hundreds of coaches I examined. The selected few, transported to Basingstoke, and road hauled to Alresford, mostly with just me, a crane driver, and lorry driver, moving the lot, and for what? Sweet FA!

    Just makes me weep.
     
  19. stephenvane

    stephenvane Member

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    I know they went a bit crazy buying mk2s, but never realised there was a conscious decision to virtually eliminate mk1s altogether. Madness.
     
  20. PolSteam

    PolSteam Member

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    Yeah OK buy Mk 2's, but they were largely never hauled by steam, and the cheap plastic interiors shout 1970's crap. Plus the way they were built makes the difficult to repair. The Mk1 is basically a wooden coach built on a steel frame, making it easy to repair even the worst body rot. Short sighted idiots! People like that shouldn't be allowed to run a railway!

    Come on, name and shame these bastards!
     

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