GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car
GWRGreat Western Railway CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 Bow-Ended Coach No 5043 is a standard 57ft full third coach, completed in June 1928 to diagram C54, lot 1383. The internal layout as built seated 64 passengers in eight compartments, with a side corridor and a toilet cubicle at each end.
The coach was originally bought by the 2857 Society and arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway by rail in October 1981. It had been adapted for use as a mess coach in a breakdown train, including stripping out compartments and removing most of the internal partitions, fitting a stove and workbenches and blanking off of some of the doors and windows. On arrival, it served as the 2857 Society’s workshop, store and mess vehicle.
Ownership passed to the Great Western (SVR) Assoc. in 2014 in a deal that saw the 2857 Society’s spares transferred to GWR 143 Tool & Packing Van, allowing the LNER Carriage Group, who are based in Bewdley Down Yard to use 5043 as their stores.[1]
It is eventually intended to convert this vehicle to a wheelchair accessible Buffet Car, which will have an open style for overflow dining if needed. The kitchen will not be there and instead it will hold wheelchairs. The pantry will have a buffet counter. In due course the Great Western (SVR) Assoc. will be appealing for funds to make the conversion.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 2857 Society newsletter issue 82
- ↑ SVR Unofficial Form 30 May 2016
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Eighth Edition
2857 Society
Great Western (SVRSevern Valley Railway) Assoc.
Links
5043 on vintagecarriagestrust.org
5043 on 2857.org.uk
5043 on gw-svr-a.org.uk