BR 4399 Tourist Standard Open

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BR 4399 Tourist Standard Open
BR 4399 20190723.jpg
BR Tourist Standard Open 4399
Built By BR Swindon/Ashford
Status Restoration in progress
Number E4399
Livery BR Crimson and Cream
Other numbers NE4399
History
Built 1957
Diagram 93
Lot 30319
Type TSO
TOPS code AC21
Seats 64 standard (as built)
1983 Preserved on SVR

Carriages

4399 is a former BR Mark 1 Tourist Standard Open (TSO). The ‘Open Second’ seats 64 passengers at tables, with three cross-vestibules to enable speedier loading and unloading of passengers. 4399 has been modified to become a wheelchair access coach.

Contents

4399 in service

4399 was built in 1956 to diagram number 93 of lot number 30219.[1] 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.[2] The established practice of building coaches for the home region was coming to an end, and E4399 went into service on the Eastern Region in July 1957, where it remained including use in the North Eastern Region between February 1967 and January 1968.[1] It lasted in British Rail service until 1983 when the new Inter-City high-speed trains made it redundant.

4399 in preservation

4399 arrived on the SVR on 16 May 1983 from Heaton, being at that time privately owned by D Randall and P Fitzwater.[3] It entered service in the BR blue and grey livery it last carried in service, until the Bridgnorth Carriage & Wagon team took it back to 1950s maroon with a quick repaint the following year. In autumn 1986 it was one of several coaches in the maroon set used by dining parties, for which purpose it received a number of tables from 4550.[4]

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".[5] Their proposed replacements, 4345 and 4593 arrived in early 1988, but the decision was quickly reached to retain the other two coaches for use in a proposed ‘spare set’.[6]

The coach began what was anticipated to be a 2-year heavy overhaul at Bridgnorth in 1991.[7] A strip-down identified rot in the frames, repair panels on the lower body sides and the gangway/bulkhead area.[8]. By late 1992 the coach had been stored while work continued on other coaches.[9] 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.[10] 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 4545 in 2005.[11]

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 renovation work. It 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).[12]

In 2015 ownership passed to the SVR Charitable Trust, and in 2016 the Bridgnorth Carriage & Wagon team resumed the restoration. This now included modification to include disabled access in a similar manner to 4690, for which the Trust was awarded grant funding.[13] The modifications mainly involved the removal of 12 seats to allow a pair of double doors to be fitted on each side, next to the wheelchair parking area. In addition the two small lavatories were taken down and their wall components reassembled to form one large ‘roll-in’ lavatory with disabled lavatory fittings and 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,[14] it was conveyed to Kidderminster works on 1 March 2019 for mechanical and body finishing and painting prior to release for traffic.[15] 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. When in service it will run in Set C.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Longworth (2013) p.56.
  2. Peep Behind The Scenes leaflet July 2017
  3. SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition
  4. SVR News 81
  5. SVR News 86
  6. SVR News 87
  7. SVR News 100
  8. SVR News 101, 102, 104
  9. SVR News 105, 107
  10. SVR News 121, 123
  11. SVR News 152
  12. SVR News 167
  13. 4399 on the SVR Charitable Trust web site
  14. SVR Charitable Trust
  15. GWR 9581 (Formerly 5043) Wheelchair and Buffet Progress 2019, LNER Carriage Group website, 3 March 2019 (Retrieved 3 March 2019)

Links

SVR Wiki

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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Trimpley Reservoir can be seen to the west of the line between Bewdley and Arley. The reservoir, which is managed by Severn Trent Water, was opened in 1968 and covers 29 acres. It is open to the public and is used by the Trimpley Sailing Club, while other activities include angling, wildlife watching and walking. (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
larger interactive version

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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