GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car
| GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car | |
|---|---|
 GWR Full Third 5043 in Bewdley Down Yard in 2015 | |
| Built By | GWR Swindon |
| Status | Static use |
| Number | 5043 |
| History | |
| Built | 1928 |
| Designed By | Collett |
| Diagram | C54 |
| Lot | 1383 |
| Type | TK |
| Seats | 64 third (as built) |
| 1981 | Arrived on SVR |
Contents
5043 in preservation
The 2857 Society ownership
The coach was originally bought by the 2857 Society and arrived on the SVR by rail in October 1981. It had been adapted for use as a mess coach in a breakdown train, including stripping out compartments and removing most of the internal partitions, fitting a stove and workbenches and blanking off of some of the doors and windows. On arrival, it served as the 2857 Society’s workshop, store and mess vehicle.
GW(SVR)A ownership
Ownership passed to the Great Western (SVR) Assoc. in 2014 in a deal that saw the 2857 Society’s spares transferred to GWR 143 Tool & Packing Van, allowing the LNER Carriage Group, who are based in Bewdley Down Yard to use 5043 to use it as a workshop and stores.[1] Shortly after taking ownership the GW(SVR)A announced its long term aspiration to convert this vehicle to a replica of a GWR Composite Diner to Diagram H33. However The SVR is short of good quality wheelchair accessible accommodation (and a GWR design Buffet Car) and although the H33 design is eminently adaptable for this purpose, the requirement is urgent.
SVR(H) ownership and intended conversion
In March 2017 the GW(SVR)A and SVR(H) exchanged 5043 for GWR 4786 Full Third. Restoration will now be carried out by The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund who have experience of this kind of work, and this coach will become their next project on completion of the restoration of GWR 17410 'Toad' 20T Goods Brake Van.[2] Costings are being prepared (June 2017) and components gathered.
A GW(SVR)A member prepared General Arrangement drawings of several options to aid design and development work. The plan is to have saloon accommodation for disabled passengers and their companions at one end and an accessible buffet counter at the other. Entry will be via central double doors with an adjacent disabled WC. The external appearance will be of a GWR H33 composite Kitchen Diner, and for ease of maintenance it will be as rebuilt sometime between 1937 and 1952 with flush sided steel panelling. [3] The General Arrangement drawing, prepared by Peter Simpson of the GW (SVR) A, of the proposal can be viewed as a pdf at File:http://www.svrwiki.com/version1241/images/f/f8/5043_elevation_drg_v4c-2a.pdf Fittings are currently being sourced, a condition survey has commenced, and costings being prepared. Finally to help improve its appearence the underframe is being cleaned and painted.
See also
References
- ↑ 2857 Society newsletter issue 82
- ↑ SVRLive 30 March 2017
- ↑ SVR Unofficial Form 30 May 2016
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
SVR Stock Book Eighth Edition
Links
5043 on vintagecarriagestrust.org
5043 on 2857.org.uk
5043 on gw-svr-a.org.uk
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