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BR 4399 Tourist Standard Open

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==4399 in service==
4399 was built in 1956 to diagram number 93 of lot number 30219.<ref name=Longworth>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2013)]] p.56.</ref> Interestingly, it was built in two separate locations. The chassis was one of a job lot constructed in Swindon, which was then moved, like flat goods wagons, down to Ashford in Kent, where the rest of the body was added.<ref>[http://www.svr.co.uk/pdf/Special%20Events/SVR%20Peep%20Behind%20the%20Scenes%202017.pdf Peep Behind The Scenes leaflet July 2017]</ref> The established practice of building coaches for the home region was coming to an end, and E4399 went into service on the Eastern Region in July 1957, where it remained including use in the Northeast region North Eastern Region between February 1967 and January 1968.<ref name=Longworth/> It lasted in British Rail service until 1983 when the new Inter-City high-speed trains made it redundant.
==4399 in preservation==
4399 arrived on the SVR on 16 May 1983 from Heaton, being at that time privately owned by D Randall and P Fitzwater.<ref>SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition</ref> It entered service in the BR blue and grey livery it last carried in service, until the Bridgnorth Carriage & Wagon team took it back to 1950s maroon with a quick repaint the following year. In autumn 1986 it was one of several coaches in the [[Carriages#Set_M|maroon set ]] used by dining parties, for which purpose it received a number of tables from [[BR 4550 Tourist Standard Open|4550]].<ref>SVR News 81</ref>
In late 1987 the carriage notes in SVR News reported that it was proposed to sell 4399 and 4584 "''to help spread our never-ending workload''".<ref>SVR News 86</ref> Their proposed replacements, [[BR 4345 Tourist Standard Open|4345]] and [[BR 4593 Tourist Standard Open|4593]] arrived in early 1988, but the decision was quickly reached to retain the other two coaches for use in a proposed ‘spare set’.<ref>SVR News 87</ref>
The coach began what was anticipated to be a 2-year heavy overhaul at Bridgnorth in 1991.<ref>SVR News 100</ref> A strip-down identified rot in the frames, repair panels on the lower body sides and the gangway/bulkhead area.<ref>SVR News 101, 102, 104</ref>. By late 1992 the coach had been stored while work continued on other coaches.<ref>SVR News 105, 107</ref> While stored at [[Eardington ]] is suffered some vandalism to the windows. Back at Bridgnorth, some further work re-commenced in late 1994, but with major welding required it was late 1996 before the coach moved into the cattle dock.<ref>SVR News 121, 123</ref> However it was still considered a ‘long term project’ with other coaches receiving priority, and it subsequently returned to storage. Its bogies, which were in good condition, were swapped onto [[BR 4545 Tourist Standard Open|4545]] in 2005.<ref>SVR News 152</ref>
In 2009 the carriage notes in SVR News reported that "derelict BR Mk I No. 4399" had received useable but worn spare bogies at Kidderminster, prior to being sent to Bridgnorth for renovation work. It was initially used as a sales-outlet [[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach]] in support of restoration of the [[LMS 62886 Six-wheeled brake wheel Passenger Brake (later 32919)]].<ref>SVR News 167</ref>
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