LMS Brake Third Corridor 26921
| LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Brake Third Corridor 26921 | |
|---|---|
 LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Brake Third Corridor 26921 in April 2020 | |
| Built By | BRBritish Rail or British Railways Wolverton |
| Status | Under overhaul |
| Number | 26921 |
| Other numbers | W26921M |
| History | |
| Built | 1951 |
| Designed By | StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944 |
| Diagram | 2161 |
| Lot | 1506 |
| Type | CH, BTK |
| Length | 57ft |
| Weight | 30T |
| Seats | 24 third |
| 1968 | Arrived on SVRSevern Valley Railway |
| 1980 | Attended Rocket 150 at Rainhill |
Service
26921 was built in 1951 by BRBritish Rail or British Railways at Wolverton as lot number 1506 to diagram number 2161.[1] Unlike the Corridor Composite version, the Brake Third Corridor continued the use of timber framing with steel top, bottom and corner members. The livery when new in service was BRBritish Rail or British Railways Crimson and Cream. In BRBritish Rail or British Railways service the carriage was renumbered W26921M, indicating that it was allocated to the BRBritish Rail or British Railways(W) region[2].
Preservation
26921 arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway from Didcot on 28 August 1968 with several other vehicles, having been acquired by SVR(H). It entered service in 1968, and the external steel panels were all renewed in 1979, though not fully welded together.[3] It was one of three SVRSevern Valley Railway coaches which took part in the Cavalcades at the Rocket 150 celebrations at Rainhill in May 1980.
Rainhill 1980: 26921 in the Cavalcade behind LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 6201 Princess Elizabeth and the NRM's LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway carriage 14241
SVRSevern Valley Railway service continued until 1984 when 26921 suffered damage to a bogie due to steel left on the track by vandals[4].
Overhaul from 2015
Long-term outdoor storage, vandalism and theft of parts meant 26921 was in poor condition. In spring 2015 the decision was taken that it would become the L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach in Bridgnorth cattle dock. Much work was required, beginning with repairs to the roof to make it water-tight. The window glasses were re-bedded and broken glass replaced. The body sides were stripped, rust-treated and painted in maroon undercoat. The four passenger doors had substantial repairs or replacement, using components from two porthole brakes, 26668 and 27023, which were broken up for spares in the 1970s. Four pairs of compartment door locks and handles were missing, so patterns were made by the MPDMotive Power Depot pattern shop volunteers to have castings made.[5] Maroon top coat was applied later in 2015.[6]
The picture below shows 26921 in March 2016, unlined and un-numbered.
LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Brake Third Corridor 26921 in March 2016
Despite being halted by lockdown, work continued in 2021.
The external steel panels renewed in 1979 saw all seams ground out and seam-welded.[3] The old body end panels have been replaced with galvanised steel.[5] At the passenger compartments end the coach end and gangway tunnel were rebuilt, and heavy corrosion around the doorways dealt with by renewal of steel pillars.[3]
It required a new floor throughout, as the corrugated iron subfloor had corroded. A new steel tray was installed in the lavatory for terrazzo specialists to create the marble-chip surface.[3] The lavatory compartment was refitted, with the new terrazzo floor cast in situ, and missing components for the complex LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway plumbing found or made at Kidderminster Carriage Repair Works.[5]
The window frames were reconstructed early in 2022, replacing corroded pieces with aluminium plate salvaged from the old body end panels.[5] The aluminium sliding window units were rebuilt because of corroded backing plates and the drainage system renovated to make it more effective.[3]
The vestibule was re-equipped with new veneered plywood sheets and the original corridor and compartment panels removed for restoration. Having never had its interior redecorated in all its years on the SVRSevern Valley Railway, extensive cleaning was also required. Once watertight, work focused on re-wiring the restored north end of the carriage. Ceiling panels were made, fitted, and painted, along with the restored veneer panels. Early in 2023 a start was also made on roof and gutter repairs on the southern half.[5]
The second stage of this project would involve rebuilding the luggage area into a wheelchair, lavatory and open saloon format.[3] Volunteers at Kidderminster also rebuilt four sets of brass sliding windows to be used in this phase of the project.[5] With the remodelling of the compartment-side bodywork completed, 26921 made the journey to Kidderminster in early 2024 to be turned on the turntable. The overhaul is being carried out by Bridgnorth volunteers with funding assistance from the SVR Charitable Trust.[7]
At the start of 2023 LNWR 76738 (fictitious) 4-Wheel Tranship Van replaced 26921 as the L.M.S. & B.R.British Rail or British Railways Coach Department Sales Coach.
See also
List of carriages
Rolling stock currently under restoration
References
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Eighth Edition
- ↑ Jenkinson & Essery (1977) p. 110.
- ↑ Longworth (2019) p.310.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Branch Lines, October 2021
- ↑ Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Branch Lines, February 2023
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 189, 192
- ↑ Branch Lines, February 2024
Links
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