Changes

|caption = BR Corridor Second 25771(2016)

|years1 = 19861991

}}The '''M25771''' is a '''BR Mark 1 Corridor Second ''' (SK) . The Corridor Second was the most prolific of the Mark 1 passenger stock, with more than 2,200 built. Those in the BR's Western and Southern regions seated eight per compartment, while those on Midland and Eastern routes seated six per compartmentwith the seats having arm rests. Early SK examples featured veneered walls, while later batches used formica Formica laminates. The SKs were an early candidate for withdrawal, being replaced by Mark 2 Open, HST sets and Networker Turbo units<ref name = StockBook>SVR Stock Book 9th edition</ref><ref name = SVRCT>SVR Charitable Trust</ref>.

25771 was built at Derby in 1962 to Diagram 146 (AA210), Lot 30685. As built it had the 48-seat ‘London 'London Midland Region’ Region' layout and was fitted with Commonwealth bogies, giving a weight of 36 Tons.<ref name=longworth>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2013)]] p.pp 9-10, 144.</ref> It entered service as M25771 in was also dual-heated and incorporated design modifications applied to reduce the London Midland region in February 1962, being renumbered M18771 in August 1983corrosion which had occurred on earlier batches.<ref name=longworth/>

It entered service as M25771 in the London Midland region in February 1962. After BR introduced [[TOPS codes]] in the early 1970s, a further refinement of TOPS in May 1983 meant that all rolling stock, locomotives and coaches were required to carry unique numbers. This resulted in the wholesale renumbering of several series of coaches, with CKs in the 25XXX and 26XXX series becoming 18XXX and 19XXX respectively. M25771 was therefore renumbered M18771 from August 1983 (the regional prefixes were taken out of use from around 1986 onwards).<ref name=longworth/>  As 18771, it the vehicle underwent modernisation at the request of sector-owner Network South East. In addition to painting in their livery, the changes included replacement of the 24 -volt tungsten bulbs by short fluorescent 110 -volt lights. As the 24 -volt reading lamps could not be economically modernised, these were removed and a long plain mirror fitted to cover both missing lamps and the earlier mirrors which displayed the "rival" Inter-City double-arrow logo.<refname=SVR100>SVR News 100</ref> It  Its last repair was withdrawn at York works in October 1986. By the time of its withdrawal from service on London-Oxford workings in October 1990it had covered a further 127,779 miles<ref name=SVR100/><ref name=SVR191>SVR News 191</ref><ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2013)]] p.119.</ref>.

‘18771’ By summer 1991, BR's Mark 1 fleet had been substantially reduced and opportunities to acquire further examples were becoming rarer. An SVR Board meeting therefore approved the acquisition of a further Corridor Second, which would initially be used to cover for a series of TSOs purchased in 1983-84 and which required consecutive overhaul over several years. Six SKs were inspected in June 1991 at London's Old Oak Common where they had been stored. 18771 was considered the best and was secured, despite strong bidding by several other parties.<ref name=SVR100/>  18771 arrived on the SVR on 9 September 1991 from London’s Old Oak Common, courtesy of [[The 75069 Fund]]. The carriage was delivered to the SVR by [[GWR 3717 City of Truro|3440 City of Truro]] which arrived in steam to attend that year’s [[Autumn Steam Gala]].<ref>SVR News 101</ref> It entered service that year still in Network South East striped livery, before being repainted into moving to [[Kidderminster]] in March 1992 where the owning group sanded and undercoated the vehicle during a one week holiday. New steam heating pipes were made up and fitted at the same time. In early July it moved to [[Bewdley Carriage & Wagon Department|Bewdley paint shop]] where the full-time carriage painters completed the flatting, glossing and lettering as its original identity M25771 in 1960's [[Carriages#Set_M|BR Maroon]] the following summerlivery.<ref>SVR News 104</ref> It  M25771 then re-entered service, although still suffering from a wheel flat which was present on arrival and which was not cured until a bogie swap was carried out during a minor overhaul in summer 2003.<ref>SVR News 144</ref>

By May 2007 it was ‘10 '10 years overdue for a repaint’repaint'<ref name=SVR191>SVR News 191</ref> and was photographed in poor condition for the Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey.<ref>[[http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1784 25771 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]</ref> It was then sent to Arley to serve as a classroom during the 1940s event and , where it was trapped there for 18 months following the [[2007 Storm Damage]]. During that time the batteries went flat, the doors swelled up and seats went mouldy- as [[Hugh McQuade]] later wrote "...''it basically 'died' ''". It was eventually retrieved and put into store, being considered possibly surplus to requirements.<ref name=SVR191/><gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">

In 2015 the need was identified for a 'spare' carriage to replace vehicles from [[https://www.svrwiki.com/Carriages#Set_N|Set N]] that were due to be withdrawn in turn for overhaul. 25771 M25771 was thoroughly overhauled at [[Carriage Repair Works|Kidderminster Carriage Works]], having been photographed there in in May 2015 on Facebook, and outshopped in a later variant of BR maroon livery-with maroon ends. Appropriately the interior is typical of latter -day Mk 1, being clad with light grey patterned Formica. The 48 -seat configuration with which the carriage was originally fitted has been replaced with a 64 -seat configuration (the change dating from the Network South East era?) and the carriage data plate edited accordingly (the plate also shows a weight of 37 tons rather than the 36 tons recorded for Lot 30685). <gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">

Following this overhaul, 25771 M25771 was used as a stand-in for Set N as intended, and as seen in August 2016 in the main picture (top right). It was then Since that time it has been available for operational use as required. It had repairs in spring 2021, replacing worn crash pillars and replacement metal work around the gangway fittings,<ref>Branch Lines April 2021</ref>, and emerged in [[https://www.svrwiki.com/Carriages#Set_M|Set M]] from following a bogie overhaul and revarnished paintwork in spring 2023.

[[Category: Carriage Type SK]] [[Category:Featured articles]]