Atlantic Coast Express Train

The MHR is currently restoring a Bulleid brake third (s4211) and its HLF is successful it will be able to restore 2 more Bulleid coaches. My question is simply is there enough Bulleid coaches preserved to create a protoypical Bulleid Atlantic Coast Express

 

Probably depends whether you are trying to recreate the departure from Waterloo or the arrival at Padstow!

Tom

 

Both really. I know the Bluebell has a couple but coach stock knowledge is poor to say the least

 

Now that is a very interesting thought, it depends on what time scale i would assume post war, 1950 ish, in which case probably not, 13 coach length wasnt it? wheres big Al when you need him, or the Yeti ? no Bulleild restuarant cars excist , i'm not sure if any of the Maunsel vehicles do either whilst it may be possible to put together a train rake of Maunsel and Bulleid vehicles weither it would be the right vehicles is another matter . of course by the time the last ACE ran would there have been Mk 1's in the formation ?

 

The Bluebell have 9 including the 1 on load to the Midhants see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/car_list.html and scroll down
Swanage has 2 which have been recently restored - http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p427378577/h23b3a40d#h23b3a40d. They also have a couple more according to this http://www.srstock.co.uk/
1 at K&WVR see http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/Bulleid.htm

Edit links added.

 

see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/7864.html. It may be entering the C&W works in 3 years time.

 

The key vehicle is probably a BCK (brake corridor composite), since most of the separate portions included at least one of those vehicles; I don't think there are any Bulleid BCKs in preservation. You might have more chance backdating your vision to the mid 1930s with Maunsell vehicles and a King Arthur as motive power, or a T9 or N (or maybe even an Adams 4-4-0) west of Exeter

Tom

 

There was an article in Steam Days magazine a few years ago listing the various formations in the BR era. My dad was trying to model it towards the end of the ACE in OO using Mark 1s. He ended up with something like 8 BCKs, a couple of SK/SOs, kitchen car, a BSK and a Bulleid semi-open brake third. Quite a lengthy train! I'm guessing towards the end it was only the three coach sets working all the way through to a couple of destinations, with the BCKs being added to the normal service trains for lesser used places.

 

"Atlantic Coast Express from the footplate" by Stephen Austin gives a typical late formation as:

Loco + (BCK + SO + BSK) + (BCK) + (BCK) + (BCK) + (BCK) + (RB + RCO) + (BCK) + (BCK) + (BCK)

with the portions (donated by brackets) being Ilfracombe, Torrington, Padstow, Bude, Plymouth, Exeter (the restaurant cars), Exmouth, Sidmouth and Exeter via Exmouth in order.

In the summer at least there would probably also have been a relief train in advance, and certain carriages may have been picked up in Exeter.

For example, the front portion above (Ilfracombe and Torrington) would have gone forward at Exeter along the North Devon line.

The next portion (Padstow / Bude / Plymouth) would then have picked up a couple more SKs for Padstow and gone via the Okehampton line, splitting again at Okehampton and again at Halwill Junction and the SK / SK / BCK going on to Padstow.

The next portion (restaurant cars) would have come off at Exeter for servicing.

The final coaches in the starting formation would have come off before before Exeter, at Sidmouth Junction and Exmouth Junction.

Tom

 

As far as a recreation of a appropriate post war A.C.E set is concerned then additionally to Bulleid vehicles Maunsell BCK's, SK's and a few restaurant cars were used up to around 1963/4 when they were replaced with BR Standard designs; so all three types could be used and be described as 'prototypical'

For those interested in Mr Bulleid's fine carriages - 8 Bulleid Semi-open Brakes still exist in various conditions as well as 2 CK's and 6 Third Opens (Bluebell 8, Swanage 4, Mid-Hants 3 and KWVR 1)

Sadly some Bullied carriages did make it beyond withdrawal from passenger services only to succumb to the cutter torch some time after BR sold them.

One BCK (6712) ex-departmental at Exeter was purchased in or around 1971/2 and was last known/seen was being used on a farm as a home to the owners model railway; it is not known if it still exists today. 3 Semi-open Brakes were either completely scrapped or their bodies removed on the Bluebell in the 1990's (all three were in a dreadful state after years of departmental/industrial use and storage at various locations) a very early multi door brake was scrapped as being beyond saving in 1990 at the Mid-Hants (2850) - I have often wondered that if it existed in that state today whether it would be given the chop.

Sadly two other coaches also slipped away which if around today would be a welcomed at any Southern line with open arms. Restaurant First 7679 was burnout by vandals at Droxford in Hampshire in the late 1960's after being used as a office - at the same location as now Bluebell resident Maunsell BCK 6686 - and in 1979 the body of a unknown BR Built CK (58xx) was scrapped at Queensborough shipbreakers scrapyard after 10-15 years as a office.

I believe at least 2 Bulleid underframes still exist today (on the Bluebell) and could, with enough will and money be used to create 2 more additional Bulleid carriages; I would think that if anyone/group etc well funded enough to attempt to rebuild one or more of these would choose a type that did not survive, probably a catering car (Tavern or Bournemouth skirted version)

 

Agreed!

That said not sure we would want the Tavern Trailer car recreated, it looks awful!




Source: http://www.railmagazine.com/gallery/default.asp?album=4&image=16

 

Ooh, I don't know. Just need some horse brasses and a few linear feet of fake book spines ...



Source: http://www.ssplprints.com/image/101477/bar-scene-in-the-bulleid-tavern-car-c-1930s

Tom

 

A tavern car would be kind of neat, I saw a BTF documentary once, with a complaint the windows were too high and it was very dark inside ?

 

The day I went to join the Royal Air Force I travelled on the ACE from Exeter to Waterloo. I joined other recruits at the bar and it was my first 'illegal' alcoholic beverage of my RAF career. I say 'illegal' as I was only 171/2 years old at the time.

 

Out of interest, is 4211 being restored to original condition with compartments? Or is it being being restored with an open saloon for wheelchairs, as it has previously been used at the mid hants?

I look forward to seeing 4211 completed, hopefully closely followed by 4367!

 

I believe that it is being restored with the saloon seating from 4367, it will it seems continue to have an open area where the compartment and coupe once existed complete with some half height partitions. last I saw this coach it had a guards compartment was formally made up of BR Standard partitions/door etc.

Looks like they are making good progress with regular updates on the Mid Hants website.

Source: http://www.watercressline.co.uk/article.php/675/news-from-the-eastern-front

 

That's looking good, I know this is looking forward quite a way but when they are finished is it likely they will be used on "normal" days at all or just galas and the like so so many vintage carriages are

 

Speaking of the Atlantic Coast Express, Roger Aves, shared his memories catching the ACE in the summer of 1961. Its a great read and goes into some good detail about the operations of the train. Well worth a read.

http://locoyard.com/2014/07/30/atlantic-coast-express/