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The '''Historic Rolling Stock Group''' was a preservation group associated with the SVR 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 LMS Saloon DM45017. The SVR Board agreed to host the Saloon on the SVR.<ref>SVR News 23, Spring 1972</ref> Other vehicles were subsequently acquired by the Group and also based on the SVR.

==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 LMS in 1923 as a staff medical examination car for which it was numbered 10825. Under BR it was given the Departmental 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 LMS and London Midland Region.

DM45017 had been purchased by autumn 1972 and was repainted into LMS livery at Holyhead while awaiting delivery to the SVR.<ref name=SVR25>SVR News 25</ref> This became something of a prolonged saga,<ref name=SVR29>SVR News 29, HRSG Notes</ref> as it did not arrive at the SVR until 9 July 1974, the stock book noting that it was intended to be used as a private party saloon coach.<ref name=SB5>SVR Stock Book Fifth Edition, September 1974</ref> Its stay was short-lived as it had left by spring 1975, moving from Highley to the Dinting Railway Centre<ref>SVR News 35</ref> in the care of The Bahamas Locomotive Society<ref>[http://lmsca.org.uk/blog/category/carriage-preservation/ LMS Carriage Association]</ref>.

==LMS 7991==
LMS Tourist Open 7991, originally LMS 5682 and later Dock Labour Coach 3, was presented to the Group in 1972 by the Port of Manchester.<ref name=SVR25/> It arrived on the SVR on 9 December in that year and by autumn 1973 restoration had begun at Highley.<ref name=SVR29/> 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 LMS Crimson Lake.<ref>SVR News 30, HRSG Notes</ref> In August 1977 the SVR Stock Book recorded that it was still owned by the Group and was still in course of restoration.<ref>SVR Stock Book  Sixth Edition</ref>  The 'Fever' Coach, as it was described, left the SVR in Autumn 1979 during 'a bit of a clear out of rolling stock', moving to the Midland Railway Trust at Butterley<ref>SVR News 53</ref>.

==DM395273==
DM395273 was an ex-LMS 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 SVR on 14 December 1973.<ref name=SB5/> The Group intended it to be used as a mobile workshop by both the C&W and S&T Departments, but noted that appeals for funding to help with its purchase had not been forthcoming.<ref name=SVR29/> 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 5043 Full Third|GWR Collet Bow-Ended Coach 5043]], rendering both the 'Pooley Van' and [[Wagons formerly resident on the SVR|LMS 12-ton box van 98543]] redundant, with both being sold to a preservation group at Buxton in February 1982<ref>[http://www.2857.org.uk/2857_DM395273_Pooley_Van.html 2857 Society]</ref>.

==See also==
*[[List of preservation groups#Preservation groups formerly associated with the SVR|Preservation groups formerly associated with the SVR]]
*[[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR]]
*[[Wagons formerly resident on the SVR]]

==References==
<references/>

==Links==
*[http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=570 45017 on Railway Heritage Register Online]
*[http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=669 7991 on Railway Heritage Register Online]
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=604 DM395273 (Body) on Railway Heritage Register Online]
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=6136 DM395273 (Frame) on Railway Heritage Register Online]