GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car
GWRGreat Western Railway 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car | |
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GWRGreat Western Railway Full Third 5043 in Bewdley DownIn reference to the direction of travel means away from the major terminus (i.e. towards Bridgnorth on the present day SVR) Yard in 2015 | |
Built By | GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon |
Status | Static use |
Number | 5043 |
History | |
Built | 1928 |
Designed By | CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 |
Diagram | C54 |
Lot | 1383 |
Type | TK |
Seats | 64 third (as built) |
1981 | Arrived on SVRSevern Valley Railway |
5043 in preservation
The 2857 Society ownership
The coach was originally bought by the 2857 Society and arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway 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)AGreat Western (SVR) Association 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)AGreat Western (SVR) Association announced its long term aspiration to convert this vehicle to a replica of a GWRGreat Western Railway CompositeCarriage having more than one class of seating, ie First and Third or latterly First and Standard. Diner to Diagram H33. However The SVRSevern Valley Railway is short of good quality wheelchair accessible accommodation (and a GWRGreat Western Railway design Buffet Car) for set GW2 and although the H33 design is eminently adaptable for this purpose, the requirement is urgent.
SVRSevern Valley Railway(H) ownership and intended conversion
In March 2017 the GW(SVR)AGreat Western (SVR) Association and SVRSevern Valley Railway(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.
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 GWRGreat Western Railway H33 composite Kitchen Diner. It will replicate the later condition of GWRGreat Western Railway catering vehicles, which were all rebuilt in a programme that lasted from 1937 to 1952. There were many variations, but they all gained flush sided steel panelling with sliding shutters replacing the original "Hopper" type opening toplights, a much more practical arrangement that vastly reduced the window's tendency to leak. [3] The General Arrangement drawing, prepared by Peter Simpson of the GW (SVRSevern Valley Railway) 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
List of carriages Rolling stock currently under restoration
References
- ↑ 2857 Society newsletter issue 82
- ↑ SVRLive 30 March 2017
- ↑ SVR Unofficial Form 30 May 2016
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
SVRSevern Valley Railway 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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