GWR 9627 Restaurant Third

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GWRGreat Western Railway 9627 Restaurant Third
GWR 9627 20210423.jpg
GWRGreat Western Railway 9627 Restaurant Third
Built By GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon
Status In service
Number 9627
Other numbers W9627W, 079112, 99237
History
Built 1932
Designed By CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941
Diagram H40
Lot 1469
Type RTO
Length 61ft 4½in
Weight 33t 3cwt
Seats 63 third
1972 Preserved on SVRSevern Valley Railway

Carriages

Interior view of 9627 taken 14/11/16
GWRGreat Western Railway 9627 is a CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 bow-ended Restaurant Third Open (RTO) carriage. It was one of ten built in June 1932 as lot number 1469 to Diagram H40, and was used in a Dining Car twin-set in combination with a Kitchen/First Saloon. It seated 63 third class passengers and was fitted with one toilet.[1] The 1932 build represented the final design of the bow-ended era[2].

Service

While in service with the GWRGreat Western Railway and BRBritish Rail or British Railways, 9627 was regularly paired with Kitchen Diner First 9615. They were renovated by BRBritish Rail or British Railways in 1948 and 1951 respectively, receiving flush panelling, sliding ventilators and improved decor, and were used on services such as the "Cornish Riviera Express" until being replaced by newer Mk 1 stock in the early 1960s.[3]

After withdrawal from passenger service in March 1962, 9627 was transferred into Internal UserRolling stock used for the railway’s internal purposes (stores etc.) at one fixed location. stock as number 079112.[4] It was used as an office in the Engineers’ yard at Roath Dock, Cardiff[2].

Preservation

9627 and 9615 were both acquired for preservation in 1972 by the Great Western (SVR) Association's Mike Wilkinson. 9627 was generally in better condition and after a visit by an SVRSevern Valley Railway working party to Roath Docks in June to lift one end of the carriage and attend to a bogie, it was delivered to the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 6 September 1972, with 9615 following a short time later.[5]

Restoration of kitchen diner 9615 began in 1973 and was completed in spring 1976, with attention then turning to 9627.[6] By late 1976 both 9615 and 9627 were complete and awaiting axle ultrasound testing prior to use in the SVRSevern Valley Railway's GWR main-line rake of carriages.[7] Use of the mail line rake ended in 1980, by which time ownership of both carriages had been transferred to the Guarantee Company[8], later assumed by SVR(H).

9615 underwent major repair work in spring 1981 while 9627 also received attention, following which both were painted in 1946 livery (which they would not have carried in service having been refurbished by BRBritish Rail or British Railways shortly after the War).[9] Both then returned to use in the Severn Valley Limited dining set.

In February 1988 9627 became the first carriage to enter and be lifted in the new Kiderminster Carriage Repair Works.[10] The following year it began a major overhaul at Bewdley which entailed a complete rebuild, the body work having become badly rotted. It was repainted in 1938 livery and after attention to the bogies returned to service in summer 1990.[11] It subsequently received an external re-varnish in May 2001.[12]

In 2009 9627 underwent a three month overhaul at Kidderminster including attention to bodywork and internal fittings. On this occasion a new pair of GWRGreat Western Railway destination boards reading 'Severn Valley Limited Dining Car' in HawksworthFrederick Hawksworth, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1941-1948 period capitals were produced, one of which can be seen in the photographs.[13] It has continued in use in the Severn Valley Limited dining set since, although in April 2021 it had been declassified for use in set GW2 (main picture above). It is finished in GWRGreat Western Railway 1934-42 livery featuring the 'shirt-button' roundel.

See also

List of carriages

References

  1. Longworth (2013) p.108.
  2. 2.0 2.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Ninth Edition
  3. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 24, 59
  4. Longworth (2013) p.172.
  5. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 26
  6. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 39
  7. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 41
  8. SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Seventh Edition
  9. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 59
  10. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 88, “North Star Carriage Works”, Colin Jenkins
  11. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 92, 94, 96
  12. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 142
  13. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 167

Links