Changes

[[File: LNER_2701_20150307{{Infobox carriage|image = GNR_2701_20190723.jpg |thumb|200px|right| caption = GNR (LNER) Corridor Composite No 2701|construc = GNR Doncaster|status = Operational|carno = 2701 |othernos = LNER: 2701N, 42701 <br>BR: E42701, E42701E, CC157,<br>DE321089, 041593|designed = Gresley|diagram = 164K|lot =|cartype = [[:Category: Carriage Type CK|CK]]|length = 61ft 6in|weight = 32t 16cwt|seats = 21 first, 24 third|built = 1922|years1 = 1958|events1 = Converted to camping coach|years2 = 1964|events2 = Departmental use|years3 = 1994|events3 = Entered preservation|years4 = 2008|events4 = Entered service|years5 = |events5 = |years6 = |events6 = }}'''GNR 2701 ''' was designed by the Great Northern Railway’s Carriage and Wagon Superintendent Mr H N (later Sir Nigel) Gresley and built at Doncaster in August 1922 to GNR Diagram 164K, as one of a batch of ten 'Vestibule Composite' carriages to Diagram 164K(the LNER generally used the term 'vestibule' when describing corridor stock).<ref name=Longworth175>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2018)]] pp.175,368. </ref> It is a '''Corridor Composite ''' (CK), seating 21 first class passengers in first class three and a half compartments (the half-compartment with three seats being known as a ''coupé'') and 24 in four third class compartments. The coach was involved It is the oldest of the 'Gresley Teaks' on the SVR, being the only one built before the LNER came into being in a collision at Retford during its first year of usethe 1923 grouping, but survived and remained in August 2022 marks 100 years since it first entered service until 1958.

==GNR 2701 in service==On 16 November 1922, some two months after entering service, 2701 was purchased in 1994 by [[The part of a Doncaster to Peterborough train which collided with the rear of a Manchester to Cleethorpes service at Retford. 2701 survived relatively undamaged and was returned to service.<ref name=LNERSVR>LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] from </ref> While in passenger-carrying service it was renumbered on a public house number of occasions. On grouping in Derbyshire1923, with the newly created LNER initially allocated a view suffix to restoration. In 2001 each carriage number based on the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant area of £84k towards the cost, origin and accordingly 2701 became '''2701N'''. This system proved unsatisfactory and in April 1925 the coach entered service in July 2008suffix was replaced by a numeric prefix, with 4 being formally launched into service on 16th August of that year by Mr Tim Godfreythe Great Northern section, resulting in a grandson new number of Sir Nigel Gresley'''42701'''. It was declared From 1932, carriages of this type were used in the overall winner in Kings Cross-Cambridge 'Beer trains' - the Heritage Railway Association Carriage & Wagon competition 2009'Garden Cities and Cambridge Buffet' expresses.<ref>vintagecarriagestrustSVR News 163, ''The story of GNR No.org2701'', Richard Gunning and Richard Hill</ref>.<ref name=Longworth175/>

On Nationalisation in 1948 British Railways in turn allocated a regional prefix to its newly inherited carriage fleet based on the area of origin with E being the Eastern Region, resulting in '''E42701'''. Shortly after that time 2701's LNER varnished teak livery was overpainted with BR 'crimson and cream' while some (or possibly all) of the ten Diagram 164K coaches had their first class compartments declassified to third class. Finally the introduction of the BR Mk 1 stock in the early 1950s saw all carriages given a regional prefix to indicate the area to which the carriage was allocated (with E again being the Eastern region) and the letter denoting the pre-Nationalisation area of origin becoming a suffix, resulting in the final number of '''E42701E'''.<ref name=Longworth175/> 2701 remained in passenger carrying service until June 1958 when, together with sister carriage No 69, it was withdrawn and converted at Stratford to a camping coach. This involved the interior being removed and replaced by cooking, living and sleeping areas, while the exterior was re-liveried in green and cream. Renumbered '''CC157''', it was stationed at Mundsley until closure in 1964. It was then transferred into Departmental stock to be used as a Divisional Engineer Messing and Sleeping Coach for which it was given the number '''DE321089'''. Finally it was transferred into Internal User stock as number '''041593''', serving as a CCE Staff and Workshop coach.<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2018)]] pp. 368, 474, 476.</ref> Its long and varied career on "The Big Railway" ended circa 1980 at Boston, serving as the painter's bothy. =Sources=GNR 2701 in preservation==2701 was then purchased by the landlord of the Plough Inn, a few miles away at Swineshead. Following a difficult road transfer involving a lorry and two cranes [http://www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk/boston_lift.html recounted here] it was to be converted to a dining room, but the project failed to gain planning permission. Despite an attempt to preserve it in Norfolk, 2701 was moved to another pub at Stoneyford Lodge in Derbyshire, also with the intention of use as a dining room, but this time the adjacent open cast mine was extended over its intended site. 2701 was purchased in 1994 by [[The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] from Stoneyford Lodge, with a view to restoration. The move to the SVR was achieved by Allelys with the aid of a lorry, two cranes and some difficulty. A video of the move can be seen here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhHzsWTW5nI The Big Lift]. After arrival the coach was stored initially at [[Kidderminster]] and subsequently at [[Eardington]] until after restoration of the Coach Fund's other coaches. Initially there was some confusion over the identity of the coach, which the published records had incorrectly described as an LNER Diagram 23 Vestibule Third. The maker's plates were missing and none of the internal fittings were still in place, but the toplights over the doors and compartments and the fact that it was a 'mirror image' of the normal LNER layout suggested it was of GNR rather than LNER origin. Furthermore it was 9ft wide rather than the standard 8ft 6in, meaning it could only be one of the 10 GNR Diagram 164K Vestibule Composites.<ref>SVR News 113</ref> By 1996 it had been confirmed that it was either No 69 or No 2701, both of which had been converted to camping coaches in 1958. SVR News reported that "''In the absence, as yet, of any further firm evidence, we have decided to refer to the carriage as No 69. Murphy's law will undoubtedly ensure that it turns out to be No 2701!''"<ref>SVR News 118</ref>  The 1998 SVR Stock Book still referred to "''Our example, assumed to be No 69…''".<Ref>SVR Stock Book 9th Edition</ref> By spring 2000 Murphy's law had proved correct as the Coach Fund had finally established the identity as No 2701, the number being found on the underside of a door. They had also completed restoration of six Gresley Teaks and had secured a set of teak panels for 2701, the outside of which was mostly plywood. Although the Fund had exhausted its finances, 2701 was moved from storage at Eardington to [[Bewdley Down Yard]] on 17 April 2000 for restoration to begin.<ref>SVR News 132, 133</ref> <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">2701_pre_restoration.jpg | 2701 before the start of restoration in 2001</gallery> An initial survey revealed that 2701 was still mounted on its original underframe and GNR bogies, which had been built in 1921 by the Leeds Forge Company.<ref>SVR News 136</ref> Restoration began in mid-2000 and in October 2000 filming took place for an episode of the 2001 TV series “[[List of film and TV productions filmed on the Severn Valley Railway#TV Documentary | Off the Rails]]” featuring Vince Henderson, with the restoration of GNR 2701 being one of the items featured. However progress was initially slow due to the lack of funding. The Coach Fund reported in 2001 that "''We could probably restore 2701 for about £20,000 but that would mean doing everything the hard way, and would probably take 20 years''." They therefore investigated the possibility of attracting grants, and on 12 September 2001 the [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|Heritage Lottery Fund]] awarded a grant of £84,300 towards the cost of restoration.<ref>SVR News 137</ref> With funding secured, official permission to start work on 2701 was received on 22 December 2001. The coach made a short trip to Kidderminster to be placed on accommodation bogies while its own bogies were overhauled. The bodywork was then stripped almost to a bare framework so that the contractors C&L Walker could replace all the waist level 'stringers' and carry out other framework repairs.<ref>SVR News 140</ref> By early November 2002 all the brackets, panels, and glazing had been re-fitted to the sides and ends. All the internal doors had been refurbished or replaced, with the four 1930's pattern sliding doors replaced by older ones retrieved from 24068.<ref>SVR News 143</ref> By mid-2003 all 12 external doors had been rebuilt and rehung and the roof had been re-canvassed.<ref>SVR News 145</ref> With external work substantially complete, 2701 was released from the 'back siding' in Bewdley yard on 26 July 2004. Later that year the [[:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|SVRA raffle]] 'Bums on Seats' raised around £8,000 in aid of 2701 and [[LMS 7511 Restaurant First Open]].<ref>SVR News 148, 149</ref>  Between 2005 and 2007 work continued on the refitting the interior. In spring 2008 2701 moved to Kidderminster Carriage Works for 'professional finishing off' of brakes, steam heat and installing the restored bogies which had been finished early in 2007.<ref>SVR News 161</ref>  <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">2701_1st_class_seat_back.jpg | Making a first class seat back in 2006</gallery> GNR No 2701 entered SVR service in July 2008, being formally launched into service on 16 August of that year by Mr Tim Godfrey, a grandson of Sir Nigel Gresley.<ref group="note">During his visit, Tim Godfrey presented the SVR with his grandfather Sir Nigel Gresley's top hat on loan for display in the newly-opened Engine House where it remains {{As of|2022|lc="y"}}.</ref> It was declared the overall winner in the [[Awards|Heritage Railway Association Carriage & Wagon competition 2009]].<ref>Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey<br/ref> <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">GNR_2701_Award_20150707.jpg | HRA award 2009</gallery> In late 2014 2701 received an overhaul and revarnish at [[Carriage Repair Works|Kidderminster Carriage works]], being released to traffic in time for the start of the 2015 season.  <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">LNER_2701_20150307.jpg | 2701 in 2015</gallery> Early in 2016, a principal supplier of 24 Volt LED lamp bulbs introduced a 40 Watt equivalent "golf ball" style bulb, the installation of which would improve lighting levels and reduce power consumption. A public appeal raised sufficient money to replace all the lamp bulbs in the LNER carriages of [[Carriages#Set_N|set N]]. The electrician reported that since the replacement, Set N has required very little top up charging from battery chargers as the dynamos are now able to supply sufficient current to charge the batteries (as they should). In March 2016 the LNER (SVR) Coach Funddonated 2701 to the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|SVR Charitable Trust]] for long term safekeeping. Sometime over the Christmas Bank Holiday 2017, 2701 was one of two coaches vandalised at Kidderminster (the other being [[GWR_1146_Full_Third | GWR Corridor Third No. 1146]]). A flash appeal by the Charitable Trust raised more than £13,000 to help pay for the repairs, which involved stripping and repainting both coaches over a six-week period.<ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/bridgnorth/2017/12/26/historic-severn-valley-railway-carriages-vandalised-by-yobs/ Shropshire Star]</ref><ref>SVR News 201</ref><brref>SVR Charitable Trust accounts to 30 June 2018, p.5</ref> 2701 is regularly used in Set N, normally rostered at the Bridgnorth end of the set. ==See also==[[Carriages#LNER (and constituents) Designed Coaches| List of carriages]] ==Notes==<references group="note"/>  ==References==

*[http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrustrhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2430 GNR 2701 on vintagecarriagestrust.orgRailway Heritage Register On-Line]<br>*[http://www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk//teak_set.html#2701 2701 on lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk]

==See also=={{CarriageNavbox}}  [[Category: Rolling stock owned by The SVR Charitable Trust]][[Category: Carriage Type CK]][[Category:Lottery funding]][[Category:SVR fundraising lotteries]][[Carriages#LNER (and constituents) Designed Coaches| List of carriagesCategory:Featured articles]]