GWR 1086 Full Third
GWRGreat Western Railway 1086 Full Third | |
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GWRGreat Western Railway 1086 Full Third, 2020 (corridor side) | |
Built By | GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon |
Status | In service |
Number | 1086 |
Other numbers | W1086, W1096W, 079154, 99234 |
History | |
Built | 1938 |
Designed By | CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 |
Diagram | C77 |
Lot | 1593 |
Type | TK |
Length | 60ft 11¼in |
Weight | 31t 9cwt |
Seats | 64 third |
1969 | Entered preservation on SVRSevern Valley Railway |
1973 | Entered service |
GWRGreat Western Railway Corridor Third (TK) 1086 is one of four such coaches on the SVRSevern Valley Railway, together with 1087, 1116 and 1146. By the time they were built in 1938, CMEChief Mechanical Engineer Charles CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 had introduced more modern designs to succeed the 'bow-ended' stock. These included large picture windows to replace the external door to every compartment, with access to the coach being via vestibules at each end. Following a GWRGreat Western Railway policy decision in late 1937, the 1938 design was built to a more restricted loading gauge as used by the LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway and LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway, such vehicles being identified by a yellow disc on the body ends. The 1938 design also reintroduced two extra entry doors on the corridor side.[1] These particular coaches have 8 compartments each seating 8 passengers, plus a toilet at each end of the coach.
Service
The four carriages were built at Swindon to Diagram C77 Lot 1593, with 1086 entering service in March 1938.[2]
1086 continued in passenger service in the BRBritish Rail or British Railways Western region until April 1965, when it withdrawn and transferred into Internal User stock as number 079154. It then formed part of the GWRGreat Western Railway's 9-coach Swindon test train which was used for load testing of diesel locomotives, the full list of coaches being:
IU Number | BRBritish Rail or British Railways(W) Number | Coach type | Current status |
079151 | W7362W | Brake Corridor CompositeCarriage having more than one class of seating, ie First and Third or latterly First and Standard., Diagram E159 | Preserved DeanWilliam Dean, Chief Locomotive Engineer of the Great Western Railway 1877-1902 Forest Railway[3] |
079152 | W536W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved at Didcot [4] |
079153 | W1146W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved SVRSevern Valley Railway |
079154 | W1086W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved SVRSevern Valley Railway |
079155 | W7313W | Corridor CompositeCarriage having more than one class of seating, ie First and Third or latterly First and Standard., Diagram E158 | Preserved at Didcot [5] |
079156 | W7284W | Corridor CompositeCarriage having more than one class of seating, ie First and Third or latterly First and Standard., Diagram E162 | Preserved SVRSevern Valley Railway |
079157 | W1116W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved SVRSevern Valley Railway |
079158 | W1087W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved SVRSevern Valley Railway |
079159 | W1111W | Corridor Third, Diagram C77 | Preserved at Didcot[6] |
Preservation
Early in 1969, BRBritish Rail or British Railways decided to dispose of the Swindon Test Train. GW(SVR)A member David Rouse negotiated the purchase of the complete train for preservation, with four of the coaches being acquired by the GWSGreat Western Society at Didcot.[7] The other five coaches arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 19 December 1969, those being[8]:
- 1086, purchased by MJ Wilkinson[note 1]
- 1087, purchased by the GW(SVR)AGreat Western (SVR) Association[note 2]
- 1116, purchased by AJ Turley
- 1146, purchased by the The GWR 813 Preservation Fund
- Corridor Composite 7284, purchased by PL Waite
Two of the five received minimal attention before entering service. 1087 and 7284 were first to be fully restored, entering service by mid-1971.[9] Attention then turned to 1086 which was mainly completed during 1972 before entering service in 1973.[10]
By 1974 all five had been fully restored and saw service on SVR excursions on the main line in the mid to late 1970s,[11] (for which 1086 received TOPS Code 99234), as well as on the SVRSevern Valley Railway itself.
By early 1985, after some 12 years in service, 1086 was reported as being in reasonable running condition but 'looking terrible'.[12] It was withdrawn from service later that year for a repaint, however examination revealed that a more comprehensive overhaul was required. Bodywork repairs were undertaken in Bewdley yard with several visits to the paint shop, while the interior was also stripped and re-varnished. With repairs complete, 1086 was finished in 1938 livery and re-entered traffic in time for the 1988 Christmas services.[13]
1086 was used in Carlton's made-for-TV movie 'Goodnight Mister Tom' in 1998 along with two other Great western coaches.
In 2001 work began on improving the appearance of the GW2 set which had become the source of negative comment. At the time 1086 was considered in the best condition of the set, but it nevertheless received an overhaul and repaint at Bewdley which was completed in July 2002.[14] It continued in service, although not seeing intensive use, with a further repaint taking place at Bridgnorth MPD in 2018.[15]
During 2021 underwent a 'routine overhaul' at Kidderminster. It transpired that at some time after the 2002 overhaul, the lavatory taps had been removed and never replaced, with the lavatories being locked out of use. A full redecoration including new wall panels was required due to water leaking from joints in the roof going undetected for some years.[16]
1086 is in service and is normally used in the GW2 set. It is finished in GWRGreat Western Railway 1934-42 livery featuring the 'shirt-button' roundel, and is owned by a Great Western (SVR) Association member[17].
See also
Notes
- ↑ After 1974, the owners in subsequent Stock Books were recorded as DW and PR Massey
- ↑ Known as the GWRGreat Western Railway Coach Fund at the time of purchase.
References
- ↑ Harris (1966) p. 104.
- ↑ Longworth (2018) p.55.
- ↑ RHR Online, 7362
- ↑ RHR Online, 536
- ↑ RHR Online, 7313
- ↑ RHR Online, 1111
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 157
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Third Edition
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 20
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 22, 25
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 41
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 75
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 86-88, 90, 92
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 142
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 203
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 215
- ↑ The Great Western (SVR) Association stock list (Retrieved 4 September 2023)
Links
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