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BR 34754 Brake Corridor Second

BR 34754 Brake Corridor Second
BR 34754 20150307.jpg
BR Brake Corridor Second 34754
Built By BR Wolverton
Status In service
Number DB975128
Livery Maroon (unlined)
Other numbers W34754, E34754, ADB 975128
History
Built 1955
Diagram 182
Lot 30157
Type BSK
TOPS code AB21 (as built), QPV
Seats N/A (24 standard as built)
1997 Arrived on SVR

Carriages

34754 began life as a BR Mark 1 Brake Corridor Second (BSK), seating 24 passengers in 4 compartments. A more detailed description of the BSK can be found under sister coach 35219. It was later converted by BR into a mess & tool van, a role it still fulfils for the SVR's Permanent Way department.

Contents

34754 in service

B34754 was built at Wolverton in 1955 to Diagram 182 (AB21), Lot 30157. It entered service in the Western region as W34754 in May 1956, moving to the Eastern region and being renumbered E34754 in September 1968.[1]

In January 1973 it was converted for Departmental use as a breakdown mess & tool van at Cambridge, receiving the Departmental number ADB 975128 and TOPS category code QPV. The new internal layout consisted of the toilet and the first two passenger compartments in their original locations, a kitchen, handwash and overall drying area, a mess room, and locker/tool area[2].

34754's Departmental number

Longworth (2013) states that E34754 was allocated departmental number ADB 975127 with ADB 975128 'carried in error'. It similarly states that E34414 (see below) was allocated departmental number ADB 975128, with ADB 975127 'carried in error'. However other sources suggest that E34754 carried ADB 975128 in use, including pictures on departmentals.com (see links below).

34754 in preservation

Up to the mid-1990s, mess facilities for the Permanent Way staff while working lineside consisted of a brake van with no washing or toilet facilities and only crude cooking arrangements, with tools being carried in a separate tool van. Permanent Way Manager, Gerry Carter therefore began investigating the possibility of acquiring a tool/mess coach to improve the conditions for his staff.[2]

The first coaches that Gerry inspected had either been robbed or vandalised. However in mid-1997, two of SVR's full-time C&W staff visited the North Norfolk Railway to inspect carriage bogies for possible purchase. A conversation revealed that the NNR had acquired ADB 975128 for its bogies only, although the body and interior were complete. The coach was inspected at Peterborough where it was in store, after which a deal was struck whereby the SVR's P-Way volunteers would purchase the coach body for £500. The entire coach including the bogies would then be transported to the SVR, with the NNR sharing the transport costs including the return of the bogies back to Norfolk.[2]

The coach arrived at Kidderminster on, or shortly after, 30 October 1997.[note 1] It was quickly lifted to enable the bogies to be returned, with ADB 975128 being place on a temporary set of bogies as part of the same lift. The Kidderminster C&W staff offered the use of the Kidderminster paint shop over the Christmas break which allowed the roof to be striped, repaired and repainted. The next few months were spent in Kidderminster yard while a start was made on stripping out surplus parts of the interior and replacing rotten bodywork.[2]

An ambitious plan was developed to convert the coach to a driving trailer with 'Blue Star' multiple working equipment and driving desk fitted, with the intention that it could be used to drive with the train locomotive at the rear. A new internal layout would comprise the Driving end, emergency equipment in the first compartment, a passenger compartment, a kitchen/mess room, a handwash / overall drying area, a toilet relocated to the middle of the coach (approximately where the original guard's compartment was), and the tool area (potentially including a generator).[2]

In late September 1998 the coach, still on its temporary bogies, was moved to Bridgnorth where the conversion would be carried out. Around the same time J.J. Smith was informed of a similar coach 34414 (later ADB 975127) which was in storage at Scunthorpe and due to be scrapped. A visit by Gerry Carter and Brian Bessey confirmed that although it was in poor condition, it stood on a good set of bogies for which Railtrack wanted £1,000. It was due to be transferred to the scrap yard the following day, but quick negotiations confirmed it was easier to purchase the whole coach, which was transported to the SVR around the end of October 1998. The body of 34754 was transferred onto the bogies from 34414, with the body of 34414 then being broken up in early 1999.[2]

The internal conversion was subsequently completed by owners The SVR Permanent Way Fund‏‎‏‎, partly funded by £1,500 from the SVRA.[2] Although use as a driving trailer has not happened in practice, it sees regular use as the Civil Engineers' Mess and Tool Van. It carries the Departmental number DB 975128 (rather than the ADB 975128 it carried when preserved).

  • 34754 at Highley, February 2020, seen from the Driving End

  • 34754 (ADB 975128) in Kidderminster yard shortly after preservation, seen from the same end (picture: David C. Williams)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The contemporary report in SVR news gives the arrival date as 30 October 1997; the 1998 Stock Book states 17 November 1997.

References

  1. ↑ Longworth (2013) p.161.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 SVR News 128, pp. 36-38, Permanent Way Tool/Mess Van, Cedric Jameson

Links

Carriages on the SVR
GWR
LMS
LNER
BR Mk 1
BR Mk 1 NPCCS
BR Mk 3
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
"76738" is a London and North Western Railway Company 10-ton Goods Van, although it carries a fictitious number as its true identity is unknown. After restoration it saw limited use in the SVRSevern Valley Railway's demonstration goods train, but due to its age and wooden underframe it is now in static use as a sales coach at Bridgnorth. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks.png
Click on the map for a
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For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

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Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

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This site, or "wiki", is a collaborative effort, and anyone who has any knowledge relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway should feel free to contribute. Once you have created a user account and logged in, you can modify any page by clicking the "Edit" button in the top right hand corner. For some tips on how to format pages, and some guidelines on how to make this wiki accessible can be found on Tips for contributing to the SVR Wiki.

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