Changes

{{Infobox maroon crimson and cream carriage|image = BR_4399_20150320BR_4399_20190723.jpg

|livery = BR Crimson and Cream|status = Restoration in progressIn service|carno = 4399E4399|othernos = M4399NE4399

|years2 = 2019|events2 = Overhauled

BR Mark 1 Tourist Standard Open (TSO) 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 4399 E4399 went into service on the Eastern Regionin July 1957, where it remained including use in the 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. The ‘Open Second’ seats 64 passengers at tables, with three cross-vestibules to enable speedier loading and unloading of passengers.

4399 arrived on the SVR in on 16 May 1983 from Heaton, being at that time privately owned by D Randall and P Fitzwater. 4399 ran for several years <ref>SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition</ref> It entered service in the BR blue and grey liveryit last carried in service, until the Bridgnorth Carriage & Wagon gang at Bridgnorth team took it back to 1950s maroon with a quick repaintthe following year. HoweverIn autumn 1986 it was one of several coaches in the [[Carriages#Set_M|maroon set]] used by dining parties, for which purpose it soon came out received a number of service 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 languished 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 many yearsrenovation work. It is now owned by was initially used as [[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach]] in support of restoration of [[LMS 2886 Six-wheel Passenger Brake (later 32919)]].<ref>SVR News 167</ref>  <gallery>BR_4399_20150320.jpg | 4399 at Bridgnorth in 2015</gallery> In 2015 ownership passed to the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd | SVR Charitable Trust]]. {{As of|2017}} it is at , and in 2016 the Bridgnorth undergoing Carriage & Wagon team resumed the restoration and . This now included modification to include disabled access in a similar manner to [[BR 4690 Tourist Standard Open|4690]], for which it the Trust was recently awarded grant funding.<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/our-vehicles/br/4399-2.html 4399 on the SVR Charitable Trust web site]</ref> 4399 will The modifications mainly involved the removal of 12 seats to allow a pair of double doors to be finished in fitted on each side, next to the wheelchair parking area. In addition the early BR livery of crimson two small lavatories were taken down and cream, as built, their wall components reassembled to form one large ‘roll-in’ lavatory with disabled lavatory fittings and will run in [[Carriages#Set_C | Set C]]also a baby-changing table.

On 17 November 2017, 4399 made a return trip to Kidderminster to be turned for work on the second side. After what turned out to be the heaviest rebuild of a Mk1 coach in SVR history,<ref>[https://www.svrtrust.org.uk/index.php?page=BR%204399%20Mk1%20Tourist%20Second%20Open SVR Charitable Trust]</ref> it was conveyed to [[Carriage Repair Works|Kidderminster works]] on 1 March 2019 for mechanical and body finishing and painting prior to release for traffic.<ref>[http://www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk/gwr-progress-2019.html GWR 9581 (Formerly 5043) Wheelchair and Buffet Progress 2019, LNER Carriage Group website, 3 March 2019] (Retrieved 3 March 2019)</ref> On 23 July 2019 it was displayed in the dock at Kidderminster for a Charitable Trust event, finished in the early BR livery of crimson and cream as built. On 13 August it was marshalled into [[Carriages#Set_M | Set M]] ready for service, temporarily replacing [[BR 4690 Tourist Standard Open]] to allow it to have a repaint and repairs. 4399 normally runs in [[Carriages#Set_C | Set C]].

*[http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrustrhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1334 4399 on vintagecarriagestrust.orgRailway Heritage Register On-Line]