GWR B Set

With the B Set no longer at Pontypool anymore i was wondering if there was any news of how the restoration is going on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. It's great that there now going to be restored.

 

I don't know the current position but last September I found the two brake thirds tucked away on a siding at Winchcombe. They looked to be in 'as moved' condition.

 

Thanks for that.

 

Is this really the remains of a proper GW B set? (I thought they had all been scrapped by the 60's) or if not what are (were?) these coaches?

If they are together a genuine B set they are of considerable historical importance!

It would be wonderful to be proved wrong but they look like utter no hopers in the photos especially if they are stored outside. Is the GWSR serious about their restoration or is this a pipe dream?

 

Yes these are the B-Set coaches,or at least they are according to the information i have found. They are far better off on the GWR than they were at Pontypool, although the whole reason for this thread was to find out what was happening with them.

 

Better off in relative terms maybe but they are already very far gone & will take massive ££s/skill/dedication to somehow resurect them if that is the plan.

 

But not i think write offs. Compared to some projects they are not that impossible but you are right that it would take a considerable amount of money for them to be restored. But i don't think they would of been bought and brought from Pontypool without some sort of plan for there future and they ideal candidates for a lottery grant being unique.

 

Research on the carriage register suggests that these are GW 5500 & 5539. If that is the case I don't think that they are a true "B set" but others may know more & possibly correct this assertion.

What is really sobering here is to see just what can happen if vehicles are not looked after - 5539 was I believe in passenger carrying condition when it was on the SVR - just look it now in the photo - those responsible should hang their heads in shame!

 

I'll take my hat off to the guys who are willing to restore these carriages. Best of luck to them would be nice to see them bk in running condition.

 

The true 'B' sets were identical pairs of non-corridor brake composites semi-permanantly coupled together at the compartment ends.

These two are actually 5 compartment brake thirds of slightly different design & vintages, one is bow ended & the other flat ended.

 

One of these two coaches was the first ever coach on the Llangollen Railway.

Anyone know which one?

 

This one...



It was lifted over the wall (by it's buffers) onto the bay platform on Llangollen station back in 1979 ish...

 

Looks like 5539 then recently ex SVR - not a good advert for the preservation movement if compared with the much more recent photo of same earlier on this thread!!!

 

Moved by rail from the SVR then i gather. From reading issue Number 1 of Steam at Llangollen - Spring 77, is says it was picked up from Watery road Goods, and moved by road. The 12mileish journey taking 1hour and ten minutes......

Did see it at pontypool a few years back, and it looked rough then. Allthough not quite as bad as the GWR kitchen / resteraunt car parked next to it. Is that still on top of the mountain, or has that been sold aswell???

 

Somethings gone wrong big time.

 

Just to point out that 5539 was in excellent intact condition when it left Llangollen. The majority of the damage , where a side fell off, was incurred at Southport, then Pontypool & Blaenavon. Apart from ourselves there are very few preservation centres who could tackle a complete rebuild such as this.

Bob.

 

How can a side just fall off ? ](*,)

 

You'd be amazed at what can happen.

 

Birchwood asks how a side can fall off. Well firstly due to lack of maintenance the roof will start leaking allowing rainwater to run down the underside of the roof & side panels. This will then start to saturate the timber frame of the coach. Any steel screws knee iron brackets & associated bolts will start rusting & expanding ,splitting the frames as they go. Eventually the screws holding the steel body panels will start popping. The waistrail at the bottom of the windows is a prime weak spot as this crosses the vertical pillars by means of a halving joint, so if the pillar fails this is where it generally happens. When the bottom rail of the body becomes saturated this will eventually disintegrate, leving the pillars with no support. The side is now left hanging from the cantrail & might now drop off . Former GWR coaches are most prone to this , as they are constructed from Portuguese Oak which not only doesn't like water penetration, but also has a dislike to steel screws.
Moral of the story is that if you've got a former GWR coach get yourself a shed or a good tarpaulin. You then need lots of money & good coachbuilder.

Bob.