GWR 6562 Brake Composite
GWR Brake Composite (BCK) 6562 was built at Swindon in October 1938 as lot number 1589 to diagram E159. The term ‘composite’ refers to a carriage having more than one class of seating, in this case two first class and four third class compartments, together with two lavatories and a small guard’s compartment.
6562 later carried the number 99238, signifying hauled non-passenger carrying use.
6562 was bought by The Great Western (SVR) Association in 1967. It is the longest serving coach on the SVR, being the only survivor of first 4 to arrive on the SVR on 25 March 1967 behind locomotive GWR 3205 (the other 3 coaches, numbers 3755, 3756 and 7285, left the SVR in 1976 and are now at Didcot). Apart from repaints, it has also seen almost continuous service since' including being part of the GWR rake of carriages used on the main line in the 1970s, although by 2015 it was at Bewdley awaiting an overhaul which began following the completion of 650. As of November 2016[update] it was at Bewdley Carriage & Wagon Department, externally nearly complete, with some interior work still underway.
See also
References
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition
Great Western (SVR) Association web site