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}}'''GWR 9653''' is a '''Collett bow-ended Restaurant Third Open''' (RTO) carriage, originally built in 1925 as part of one of the GWR's prototype articulated carriage sets and modified into its present form in 1936. It has been on loan to the SVR from the National Railway Museum since 1981.  Articulation involves two carriages sharing a single bogie. For a railway regularly using fixed formation sets, this yields potential benefits in terms of length, weight, and space savings. However there are also downsides, including the difficulty of swapping out individual carriages within sets. A fuller description of the articulated carriage sets is included under classmate [[GWR 9654 Restaurant Third|GWR 9654]].

'''10020''', as it was originally numbered, was built in October 1925 as lot number 1359 to Diagram H32,<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Harris (1966)]] p. 150.</ref> and initially formed one end of three-car articulated (“Tri-art”) dining set H32. The Its triplet also including dining first 10018 and restaurant car 10019.  After initially serving on flagship services out of Paddington, the arrival of the 60ft flush-sided stock in 1930 saw the articulated sets were an attempt to reduce train weights transferred onto more mundane Cheltenham and Weymouth express services, and by means of two carriages sharing a single bogie1935 their usefulness had become limited. However In that year the relative lack GWR introduced their new "[[GWR 650 Brake Third Open (Excursion)|Excursion Stock]]". Two of flexibility the six dining car triplets, one of this arrangementwhich was 10018-20, and were temporarily assigned to the introduction of more powerful locomotivessecond set "GWR VT No. 2" in April 1935, led to with the sets being dining cars acting as temporary open thirds until sufficient new 1936 open thirds were available. In April 1936, third 10020 (renumbered '''GWR 9653'''), third 10036 (renumbered '''[[GWR 9654 Restaurant Third|9654]]'''), first 10018 (9655) and first 10034 (9656) were all rebuilt as third class dining carriages to Diagram H52, the length being increased from 50ft 6&frac34;in to approximately the 57ft length of the equivalent 1920s non-articulated stock by splicing in extra frame lengths and adding new body sections. As rebuilt, they included seven bays totalling 56 seats, allowing space for a large vestibule with one toilet and a linen storage cupboard. All were mounted on 7ft bogies.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2018)]] p.110.</ref> <ref name=Harris86>[[Bibliography#Other References|Harris (1966)]] pp. 86-89.</ref><ref group="note">The dining cars from other four articulated sets were rebuilt between June 1936 and July 1937, retaining their original class as three single units First Diners (Diagram H50) and Third Diners (Diagram H51 seating 64 in 8 bays)</ref> After conversion, 9653 continued in passenger service into the BR era which resulted in April 1936the usual [[Carriage and Wagon numbering|renumbering]] to '''W9653W'''. The ex-dining cars were seen on additional services such as Paddington to Birmingham extras or Newbury race trains as late as 1961. 9653 later saw <ref name=Harris86/> W9653W was withdrawn from passenger services and transferred into Departmental use stock in January 1962 as No DW 150032 '''DW150032'''. In response to the increasing "cold war" tensions, the government of the day established a number of [[:Category:Rolling stock previously part of emergency control trains|regional control trains]] to act as mobile communication control centres in the event of a nuclear attack. W9653W and sister coach W9654W (renumbered DW150326) both formed part of the second WR Control Train, along with five Diagram C57 Full Thirds which were stripped out and converted for office use.This particular train was stored in the Carriage Shed at Craven Arms, from where it would presumably have been moved to shelter in Sugar Loaf Tunnel in the face of an imminent threat<ref name=stockbookSVR157>SVR Stock Book Ninth EditionNews 157</ref> .

It Since the control trains were officially secret, preservation groups were concerned that once withdrawn, they might be scrapped without notice. The [[Great Western (SVR) Association]] made periodic "unofficial visits" to Craven Arms to monitor their status. In the event, when the train was preserved in 1980 disbanded, the coaches were put up for tender. The Association bid for both 9653 and is part of 9654, but were thwarted by the [[National Railway Museum| NRM]]’s who claimed both for the National Collection. It first <ref name=SVR157/> However several coaches restored by the SVR had taken part in the [[Rocket 150]] event the previous year, and this probably helped the Association reach an agreement with the NRM for the pair to come to the SVR on loan, where they would similarly be restored to full running order. Both arrived on the SVR from York on 18 August 1981; the initial agreement being that 9653 was on short-term loan and would run on the line for one year after it was restored.<ref group="note">The initial agreement was that 9654 would be on indefinite loan. It was hoped that in 1981 along with sister coach return the Museum might have taken [[GWR 9654 Restaurant 5883 Brake Third| GWR Brake Third 5883]] for short term exhibition but lack of space precluded this. 9653's loan quickly became extended, although this was never formally noted in SVR News at the time.</ref> After receiving attention, mainly to make them watertight and install communication cord gear, both were used in that year's [[Autumn Steam Gala| Enthusiasts Weekend]] where they proved popular.<ref>SVR News62</ref> 9653 duly underwent restoration in 1982, with 9654receiving the same treatment in 1983.<ref>SVR News 66, 71</ref> After completion, both saw regular use on dining trains.<ref>SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition</ref> In summer 1985 9653 was withdrawn from [[Severn Valley Limited]]dining set for a quick repaint which soon became more involved. The 1982 repaint had been a bit of a rush job and problems were found with "''...several layers of BR's goo and gunge''" underneath. After this was addressed, 9653 returned to the Limited set.<ref name>SVR News 77</ref> In spring 1989 the interior was re-upholstered and a number of defective fittings were replaced.<ref>SVR News 94</ref> It received another repaint and minor framework repairs<ref group=stockbook"note">Repairs were only required to the additional frame sections added when the carriage was extended in 1936, suggesting the wood used was of worse quality than the original 1925 construction.</ref> in spring 1994 before returning to the dining set for the season.<ref>SVR News 110, 112</ref> Over winter 1996-7 the dining trains included three BR Mark 1 coaches on hire from Waterman Railways ([[BR 3109 First Open|3109]], [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR|3106]] and [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR #Carriages scrapped while at the SVR|1678]]). It remains This enabled much needed work to be carried out on the Limited set, particularly on loan to 9653 whose woodwork required many hours of cleaning, stripping and varnishing. A light patch-in and revarnish together with re-sealing the gutters took place over winter 1999-2000.<ref>SVRNews 122,133</ref>NRM  Around 2003, sister coach 9654 moved into the [[Bewdley Down Yard|yard at Bewdley]] for what became a 'Our Collectionstop start' entry for GWR interior repair.<ref>SVR News 142, 163</ref> The NRM indicated that they wanted both 9654 and 9653returned, with work on 9654 therefore being paused. However after the NRM realised that both were identical,<ref name=SVR170>SVR News 170</ref> and an agreement was reached in spring 2007 whereby 9654 was gifted to [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]] with 9653 planned to return in 2008/09.<ref name=SVR157/> During 2009 the loan period for 9653 was regularly used extended for a further five years, with [[LMS 798 Royal Coach|LMS Royal Saloon 798]] also being loaned to the SVR for display in [[The Engine House]] as part of the a programme of periodical change of exhibits.<ref>SVR News 167</ref>. In November of that year 9653 was moved into Kidderminster paint shop for refurbishment, particularly attention to leaky roof joints, gutters, windows and vents.<ref>SVR News 168</ref> This became what [[Severn Valley LimitedHugh McQuade]] dining setsubsequently described as "...''the longest and most difficult project to have ever been with us so far''", including major bodywork repairs. With these eventually completed, finished 9653 was repainted in GWR 1934-42 livery featuring the ‘shirt'shirt-button’ button' roundel(which it would have carried when first de-articulated) and re-entered traffic on 15 May 2010.<ref name=SVR170/>  9653 was retired from service in early 2017 with poor wiring, thought to date from 1923, which resulting in it switching itself off up to fifteen times in a single trip.It underwent repairs involving fitting a new set of battery boxes, a serviced regulator, switchgear and dynamo<ref>SVR News 199, 200</ref> The wiring in the ceiling was also replaced, a process which revealed that Swindon had simply laid a second ceiling over the original when the articulated sets were split up in the 1930s. A completely new ceiling to the 1936 profile was therefore made. 9653 then remained out of service due to the tyres being down to scrapping size. These were eventually swapped in time for a return to use in the Dining set on 12 August 2019. <ref>SVR News 203, 204, 207</ref>

In 2017 it was retired from service Following an increase in the number of 'open-door' incidents, the GWR carriages fitted with poor wiring, thought 'snap-locks'<ref group="note">'Slam-locks' such as those on BR Mark 1 stock automatically move to the locked position when the door is closed. The old style 'snap-locks' fitted on most of the GWR stock require the door to be closed and the external handle then to be turned to date the locked position manually.</ref> were withdrawn from 1923, and underwent repairsservice in early 2023 while the safety case for their use was reviewed.<ref>SVR News 200222</ref> 2019 saw In late 2023 a bogie overhaul modified lock design was approved and both 9653 and curing leaks on the roof vents9654 were among those to have their locks re-engineered.<ref>SVR News 206224, 208p. 25.</ref> 9653 remains on loan to the SVR<ref>NRM 'Our Collection' entry for GWR 9653</ref>.

[[Category:Rolling stock previously part of emergency control trains]] [[Category:Featured articles]]