BR 3083 Experimental Open

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BRBritish Rail or British Railways 3083 Experimental Open
BR 3083 20150307.jpg
BRBritish Rail or British Railways 3083 in 2015
Built By BRBritish Rail or British Railways Doncaster
Status In use
Number E3083
Livery BRBritish Rail or British Railways Maroon
Other numbers W3083
History
Built 1957
Diagram 74
Lot 30372
Type FO
TOPS code AD11
Seats 36 Declassified
1972 Withdrawn by BRBritish Rail or British Railways
1973 Entered service on SVRSevern Valley Railway

Carriages

Interior view of 3083
First Open (FO) No 3083 is one of 14 experimental BRBritish Rail or British Railways Mk1 carriages built in 1957 by a variety of contractors and BRBritish Rail or British Railways workshops to trial new designs, evaluate public opinion and test the durability of new fittings.

Service

Prototype Open First 3083 was built at the former LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway workshops at Doncaster in 1957 to diagram 74, Lot 30372. As built it had a weight of 33 tons and was fitted with BR1 bogies. Externally, the window spacing is different from standard Mk 1.

The interior design incorporated LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway style teak matchboard linings and aluminium trim, with 36 reclining rotating seats in 2+1 arrangement and two lavatories at one end of the carriage. Although classed as a ‘Gangwayed Open’, the seating areas are separated from the centre vestibule by swing doors. Fluorescent lighting is used within the carriage.

The carriage entered service in BRBritish Rail or British Railways’s Eastern Region in June 1957 numbered E3083. In July 1965 it was renumbered W3083 with a transfer to the Western Region. It was finally withdrawn from BRBritish Rail or British Railways service at London's Old Oak Common in August 1972[1][2].

Preservation

3083 arrived from Old Oak Common on 12 February 1973 and was put into service immediately after arrival, still in InterCity blue & grey livery.[3] It was repainted into BRBritish Rail or British Railways Crimson & Cream in 1974-75, initially at Hampton Loade and completed at Bridgnorth.[4]

3083 was withdrawn from service again in March 1978 to be repainted into BRBritish Rail or British Railways Western Region brown and cream livery for use with the dining car train.[5] It returned to service in early 1979 and continued until Spring 1985 when it was withdrawn requiring attention to leaking windows and re-covering of the seats. A quick repaint into BRBritish Rail or British Railways Maroon was envisaged,[6] but in the event an extended heavy general repair was undertaken which began in December 1985[7] and was finally completed during 1990 with the carriage re-entering service in BRBritish Rail or British Railways Maroon livery.[8]

In 1999 3083 was reallocated for a period of use in the LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway Teak set. In summer of that year the carriage was repainted in BRBritish Rail or British Railways Eastern Region Mock Teak using a process known as ‘scumble-graining’. This type of finish was used on LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway steel-bodied Thompson coaches towards the end of the LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway era in 1946-48.[9]

3083 received a further overhaul in mid-2009, reverting to 1957 BRBritish Rail or British Railways Maroon livery with black ends and gutters but without the ‘roundels’ which were introduced later by BRBritish Rail or British Railways.[10] It moved to Bridgnorth Loco Works paint shop during 2020 for a repaint.[11]

For current SVRSevern Valley Railway use, the coach has been declassified (i.e. is now 'standard' class), and the seats have been locked so they no longer rotate. 3083 is often used to extend one of the regular carriage sets. The carriage is owned by SVR(H)[2].

See also

List of carriages

References

  1. Longworth (2013) p. 42.
  2. 2.0 2.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book 9th Edition
  3. Information panel inside carriage
  4. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 36
  5. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 50
  6. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 75
  7. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 79
  8. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 97
  9. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 129/132
  10. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 169
  11. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 210

Links