Changes

Jump to: navigation, search

GNR 2701 Composite Corridor

266 bytes added, 14:37, 18 November 2015
Add note on mis-identification in Stock Book 9th Edition
[[File: LNER_2701_20150307.jpg |thumb|200px300px|right| GNR (LNER) Corridor Composite No 2701]]GNR 2701 was built at Doncaster in August 1922 as one of ten carriages to Diagram 164K. It is a Corridor Composite (CK), seating 21 first class passengers in three and a half compartments and 24 in four third class compartments. The carriage was involved in a collision at Retford during its first year of use, but survived to become LNER No 42701, and BR E42701E. It remained in passenger carrying service until 1958when, together with sister carriage No 69, when it was converted at Stratford to a camping coach and stationed at Mundsley until closure 1964. Following transfer to departmental stock its long and varied career on "The Big Railway" ended c1980 at Boston serving as the carriage cleaners bothy.
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 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. Initially there was some confusion over the identity of the carriage; the SVR Stock Book 9th edition describes the carriage as “Our example, assumed to be No 69…” and lists it as such<Ref>SVR Stock Book 9th Edition</ref>. In 2001 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £84k towards the cost of restoration, and GNR No 2701 entered SVR service in July 2008, being formally launched into service on 16th August of that year by Mr Tim Godfrey, a grandson of Sir Nigel Gresley. It was declared the overall winner in the Heritage Railway Association Carriage & Wagon competition 2009<ref>vintagecarriagestrust.org</ref>.
In late 2014 2701 received an overhaul and revarnish at Kidderminster Carriage works, being released to traffic in time for the start of the 2015 season.
Trustworthy, administrator
11,785
edits

Navigation menu