Historic Rolling Stock Group

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The Historic Rolling Stock Group was a preservation group associated with the SVRSevern Valley Railway in the 1970s.

The Group was formed around the beginning of 1972 by a number of North Wales and Wirral Railway Circle members who were initially interested in preserving LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Saloon DM45017. The SVRSevern Valley Railway Board agreed to host the Saloon on the SVRSevern Valley Railway.[1] Other vehicles were subsequently acquired by the Group and also based on the SVRSevern Valley Railway.

DM45017

This carriage began life as a Corridor Third, built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway at Newton Heath in 1910 and numbered 247. In 1917 it was converted into a US continental ambulance staff car, becoming Staff Car B No 5902 in US Continental Ambulance Train 59. After the War it was rebuilt by the LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923 as a staff medical examination car for which it was numbered 10825. Under BRBritish Rail or British Railways it was given the DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. number DM45017. In service it was mainly based at Holyhead and its role was to carry the company medical officer around the various sheds and depots in the LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway and London Midland Region.

DM45017 had been purchased by autumn 1972 and was repainted into LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway livery at Holyhead while awaiting delivery to the SVRSevern Valley Railway.[2] This became something of a prolonged saga,[3] as it did not arrive at the SVRSevern Valley Railway until 9 July 1974, the stock book noting that it was intended to be used as a private party saloon coach.[4] Its stay was short-lived as it had left by spring 1975, moving from Highley to the Dinting Railway Centre[5] in the care of The Bahamas Locomotive Society[6].

LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 7991

LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Tourist Open 7991, originally LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 5682 and later Dock Labour Coach 3, was presented to the Group in 1972 by the Port of Manchester.[2] It arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 9 December in that year and by autumn 1973 restoration had begun at Highley.[3] The Group announced that it would be moving to Hampton Loade in winter 1973-74, together with DM395273, where preparations would begin for an external repaint from its current "Fever Green" into LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Crimson Lake.[7] In August 1977 the SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book recorded that it was still owned by the Group and was still in course of restoration.[8] The 'Fever' Coach, as it was described, left the SVRSevern Valley Railway in Autumn 1979 during 'a bit of a clear out of rolling stock', moving to the Midland Railway Trust at Butterley[9].

DM395273

DM395273 was an ex-LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 6-wheeled Covered Combination Truck which had previously been used as a mobile workshop by Henry Pooley Ltd., the weighing machine contractors, leading to its nickname of the "Pooley Van". It was acquired from Wolverton by the Group and arrived at the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 14 December 1973.[4] The Group intended it to be used as a mobile workshop by both the C&WCarriage & Wagon and S&TSignals & Telegraph Departments, but noted that appeals for funding to help with its purchase had not been forthcoming.[3] Around June 1976 the Group placed it on loan to The 2857 Society for use as a workshop, mess-room and sleeping accommodation. It was then sold by the Group to several 2857 Society members who donated it to the 2857 Society.

In October 1981 the 2857 Society decided to up-grade their workshop, storage and messing facilities and purchased GWR Collet Bow-Ended Coach 5043, rendering both the 'Pooley Van' and LMS 12-ton box van 98543 redundant, with both being sold to a preservation group at Buxton in February 1982[10].

See also

References

  1. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 23, Spring 1972
  2. 2.0 2.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 25
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 29, HRSG Notes
  4. 4.0 4.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Fifth Edition, September 1974
  5. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 35
  6. LMS Carriage Association
  7. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 30, HRSG Notes
  8. SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Sixth Edition
  9. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 53
  10. 2857 Society

Links