VEHICLE DETAILS

Yet another sister to 9124E and 24278 (above), this does have a slightly different history and a different future. Built at York in 1936, finished in teak and used all over the LNER and then Eastern region. However 9116E (as it had become) was not rebuilt in the 1950's and remained in its original form until its early withdrawl in 1962. Fate stepped in and it was converted to departmental use as DE321069. Moved to Perth depot in Scotland it's new role was as a staff coach. For nearly thirty years (until 1994) it served this purpose admirably, before finally being withdrawn and purchased for preservation. By this time it had been stripped of virtually all interior fittings and underframe equipment. Moved to the GCR major restoration started in 1997 with the underframe and bogies being overhauled. More recently work has stalled pending shed space for the body repairs (and while the owner diverted finance to the rebuild of Beavertail 1719E). When time and finance permits 24080 will emerge in full varnished teak. As we have a surplus of buffet vehicles the decision has been taken to convert this one to a first class dining car and this is the form in which it will return to service in due course.

TTO 23981

Ironically, of all the Gresley coaches in our collection, this is the only one that is a simple third class passenger vehicle; the type that was once most numerous! 23981 was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. for the LNER in 1936 and finished in varnished teak. It was one of many identical vehicles with the open seating layout (four seats round a table) that was to become so dominant in british carriage design until recent times. It remained in service (renumbered 13279) until 1965, when it was converted to a departmental staff changing coach, numbered DE321070. It spent the next 39 years at Perth in the company of 24080 (above) until acquired for preservation by an RVP member in 1994. Moved to the GCR, ownership was transferred to RVP and it currently awaits its turn in the restoration queue. It is hoped to find grant funding to quickly rebuild this vehicle as, being a high capacity carriage, it would be useful for use on the GCR. In any case it is intended to restore it to varnished teak condition, and it presently is next in the restoration queue and will be started after completion of 24278 (above).

RF 1222

An older vehicle, built in 1929 at Doncaster. This was a restaurant first, with a large kitchen car meal service on long distance trains. It remained in service, renumbered 651 and then 9019, until 1960 when withdrawl beckoned. However LNER vehicles were apopular choice for conversion to staff accomodation and 1222 became a dormitory car renumbered DE320907. So it went on for another 30 years until finally ending its days at Stratford as a staff vehicle for track machine 76203. Disposed of in 1991 it was purchased by a RVP member, initially going to the Nene Valley railway for storage, moving to the GCR two years later. It presently remains in store, while the owner collects parts for a full rebuild to original condition

CK 18033

Our oldest coach, and probably the one of the greatest historic significance. Originally built carrying the number 10155J, but quickly renumbered 1065, it emerged from York works in 1924 as part of the "Flying Scotsman" train (the locomotive from which remains world famous). Being a composite coach it had both first and second class compartments, including a very unusual "half compartment" of three seats facing a blank wall. In 1928 a new train was built for the "Flying Scotsman" so our vehicle was downgraded to standard passenger use. Renumbered 7781 in the early thirties and finally 18033 in 1946, it remained in use until 1959. Its continued survival was then ensured by it conversion to a mess van - which unfortunately necessitated heavy rebuilding (and now numbered DE320741). In this role it served at Knottingley depot until 1973 when a group of RVP members realsied its historic significance and saved it for preservation. Moved to Loughborough in 1981 it then acted as a mess van for a further 10 years before finally moving to Rothley and falling out of use. Currently stored its rebuild will be a major job, but the plan is to return it to its 1924 condition - it is now the only surviving carriage from the first "Flying Scotsman" train. In 2009 this vehicle recived cosmetic attention and is now in brown livery.

BTK 57451

Built at York in 1940 (on an order placed in 1939) it was seven built that year to a standard Gresley design. Used on main line passenger trains all over the LNER system it was renumbered 16520 in 1956 and continued in service until the early sixties. Unlike many of our other vehicles this one did not get converted to a departmental vehicle, but instead went straight into preseravation on the Worth Valley Railway. Used for many years (as their number 11) it even starred in the original "Railway Children" as the "Scotch Express". It left the Worth Valley in 1975, was purchased by RVP and appeared at Loughborough in 1981. Stored for many years, it received cosmetic attention in 1986 for a filming contract, and again in 2000 (when it was repainted Blood & Custard livery). Stored in the open since it deteriorated and, in 2007, it recieved further attention and now carries a scrumbled teak finish. It does remain relatively complete and restoration to varnished teak will be relatively straightforward.

BTK 62565

This is another unique survivor - the only short framed (52'6") Gresley brake vehicle in preservation. Built in 1927 at York, these shorter vehicles were mainly intended for use on secondary lines in East Anglia. It remained in service on these lines until 1959. Like many other Gresley vehicles it was then renumbered in the departmental series (DE320746). Its not clear what it was used for but the interior and underframe had been almost completely stripped by the time it was acquired for preservation in 1975. Moved to the GCR in 1981 it has been in store ever since. It is in the restoration queue, but unfortunately as we already have another brake vehicle it is right at the bottom of the queue. However, it was moved to Rothley in July 2003 and has been "adopted" by a member. Currently it is receiving attention to make it presentable, with the intention being to carry on restoration in the background with a return to varnished teak at some point in the future. The work being carried out on this vehicle is the subject of a diary on the Special feature page; in the recent past work on this vehicle has taken a back seat while the mark 1 TPO set is finished, but it is hoped work will resume in 2010.

BGP 70442E

This pigeon van is built to the same design as our restored example 4050 . Similarly built at York in 1941 there was one significant difference. By the time 70442 was built (originally numbered 4052) the war was forcing economies so it emerged with steel panelling rather than teak. However the LNEr promptly set about painting it to match the teak stock; using a scrumbled paintwork complete with full lining to make it look like wooden panelling! (a small proportion of this remains visible on the body side today. It ran in BR service until 1970, when it was preserved by the Worth Valley Railway. Sold on to an RVP member at Chappel it was used for stores there until 1999. By then in very poor condition, it was donated to RVP initially intended as a source of spares. However its signifcance as the only steel panelled Gresley pigeon van in preservation means we are now looking to restore it to as built condition at some point in the future.

CCTs 94606 & 94707

These 4 wheeled vans were two of literally hundreds of identical vans built to a standard BR design at Earlstown in 1960. Built to passenger train standards and often ran attached to such trains to provide extra parcels and luggage space. They were a common sight all over the rail system, eventually replacing the whole selection of earlier van design (such as BZ 70654E). Until the 1980s they were seen carrying all manner of traffic , from newspapers to cars. The final few ended their days in the Manchester area in the late eighties. RVP purchased three in 1983 and they were moved to Loughborough. They were never intended to be restored and were for use as storage space for spare parts. Moved to Rothley in 1993 they continue to be used for storage space. However we are now clearing much of our stock of spares, so intiially one (94125) has been sold, to be followed by 94606 in due course. The third (94707 - pictured) will remain in use for the time being, and is likely to be restored in due course to run with the mail train. For the time being it is in use as a workshop and received a cosmetic restoration in 2006 to "Tartan Arrow" livery. This livery was carried by a few of these vehicles in the late 1960's for use on high speed parcels services between London and Scotland. It is believed to be the only preserved vehicle carrying this eyecatching and otherwise forgotten livery. A fourth CCT (94286) is owned by a member and is used regularly on GCR trains to carry a large water tank for fighting lineside fires.

SLF 380M

Previously an odd one out in our collection. This is a 12 wheeled sleeper to an LMS design, but actually built by BR at Wolverton in 1951, making it amongst the last 12 wheeled coaches to be built for use on Britains railways. These carriages can only be described as huge! With 12 first class sleeping compartments and attendents lobby this coach would have run on the West Coast Main Line during its relatively short time in service - it was withdrawn in 1972, having been replaced by mark 1 sleepers. It then entered departmental service (as 975183) as saw another 10 years use as engineers accomodation. Then purchased by RVP it moved to Loughborough to provide volunteer accomodation - in which role it continued for another 10 years. In 1996 it entered Rothley shed for major bodywork, including complete reskinning and repaint in Blood and Custard livery. The externally restored vehicle was then used in some special events and phot charters. The intention was then to refit the interior - either to original condition or conversion to a camping coach. Unfortunately this stalled with a shift in emphasis to the LNER stock, and the need for regular volunteer accomodation has declined. Threfore we sold the vehicle to Trailways Ltd who moved it to Louth in 2006. The intention being to restore it for static accomodation. See the links page for a link to their website.

OBS 1719E and 1729

Possibly the most historic vehicles in the collection - so important they get a page of their own, BEAVERTAIL APPEAL. Built at Doncaster in 1937 these vehicles were the streamlined observation cars for the rear of the "Coronation" trainsets. Styled to match the locomotives (A4s such as "Mallard"), and with heavy 1930's Art Deco influence, these trains became world famous for their speed exploits. Sadly the war curtailed their operation after just two years, and the carriage sets were disbanded. The observation cars went into store, not to re-appear until the 1950s on various special trains. In the mid fifties they moved to the West Highland lines in Scotland for regular summer use. Rebuilt in 1959 with a more angled end to give a better view they saw a further ten years use on these lines before withdrawl. By now the only surviving carriages from the "Coronation" trains both were preserved; 1719 at the Lochty Railway in Scotland and 1729 on the Keighley and Worth Valley.

By the 1990s both had fallen into disuse and were stored (riddled with asbestos). RVP members had always taken an interest in these vehicles and in 1990 a member stepped in to purchase 1719 when the Lochty Railway closed. Stored on the GCR for a further 10 years a fast-track appeal to restore it was then launched which has now been successfully concluded. It has been returned to its 1959 condition (top photo) as it would have run on the West Highland lines. In this form it will see regular use on the GCR. Meanwhile the fate of 1729 continued to be monitored. It was known to be for sale and enquiries made in 2003 resulted in negotiations which saw the completion of a deal which passed ownership to an RVP member, who in turn loaned it to RVP and will provide funds to restore it. This vehicle will be restored to original 1937 condition and, at the time of writing (July 2009), the original framing has been restored, the bogies overhauled and the underframe repaired. Work continues on the bodywork and it is hoped this striking vehicle will return to service in 2012
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