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Third Open (TO) 52255 was built at York in 1935 to Diagram Number 186 Lot number 594. It was renumbered as 13547 in 1946, and in 1961 it was withdrawn for Departmental use as an Office Coach in a Control Train, numbered DE321005.
52255 arrived on the SVR from Doncaster in April 1980, having been purchased by an individual. External restoration to 1935 livery was undertaken in the mid-1980s with the assistance of the LNER (SVR) Coach Fund, although the interior still consisted of BR Mark 1 seating.
52255 was purchased by the SVR Rolling Stock Trust (now The SVR Charitable Trust in June 2011. It was withdrawn from use at the end of 2014 for the interior to undergo a high class upgrade to LNER appearance, similar to that recently completed on 43600. As of 11/15 the interior had been dismantled and many components refurbished or replaced. Much progress had been made by the volunteer upholsterer with the re-covering of the seats in new LNER red & black patterned moquette. Its expected to enter the Paintshop early in 2016 for further repair, reassembly and revarnishing.
Sources
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey
LNER (SVR) Coach Fund
SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition