Gresley BT (3)

[UpDistant]

Morning All

The Gresley 3-compartment Brake Thirds (BT(3)) to diagrams 66 and 119 were all built for use in the Southern Scottish area, 14 D66 in 1926, 20 D119 in 1928 and 2 D119 in 1930 giving a grand total of 36.

Quite a few migrated to the North Eastern area, some possibly as early as the mid 1930s, and the 1954 Carriage Working Notices had a daily requirement for 18 such vehicles, plus presumably the odd spare. Most of these were used in the Newcastle area on workings to Hexham, Blackhill and Hawick via the Border Counties line, and Manors to Newbiggen and Blyth. The only others were a pair used on a Whitby-Scarborough-Redcar working. These account for half the total.

By 1956, the daily requirement had dropped to 9, 7 on Newcastle to Hexham/Haltwhistle workings, and 2 on the Manors-Newbiggen/Blyth job. The Border Counties workings to Hawick had gone over to corridor stock, presumably displaced by BR Mk1s elsewhere, and the Blackhill passenger service had been withdrawn.

The introduction of diesel railcars from 1957 doesn't appear to have caused immediate withdrawals as the first did not go until the end of 1958, and the last went in July 1962. The relevant Isinglass drawing gives the withdrawal dates but gives no indication from which BR region.

Can anyone help with NER allocations during the 1950s?

John

[Trestrol]

Sorry can't help with allocations but can help with a picture of dia 119 No 3649 somewhere in Scotland.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Oh ! What a shame, hasn't got long to go, the roofs starting to collapse.

manna

[65447]

Diagram 66 - the only official allocations given to most of them are to the Clydebank services.

Diagram 119 - 86773 Hexham Set; 86778 Newbiggin Set; 86783 Hexham Set; 86785 Hexham Set. NOT 86771 Buntingford Set. No other specific allocations other than to Area. All Diagram 119 were originally allocated 3 series numbers - the Southern Scottish Area.

The only help there might be beyond the above will be photographs, line histories, or personal records. The information is taken from a transcription of a set of the official records.

Hope this helps a bit.

[UpDistant]

Thanks 65447, that information is very useful.

I realised after I had posted my query that the 1930s would have been too early for transfer from the SSA - it would have involved renumbered back into the 2xxxx number series.

Have you any other details of coach numbers in the Hexham sets? Having peered very closely at quite a few photos, there are numerous permutations of Gresley/Thompson, teak/steel, and make up generally. The booked sets were BT(4) CL(3:4) and BT(3), but substitutions occurred with use of two BT(3) or BT(5) in place of the BT(4). If you throw some ex-NER and ex-GNR coaches in to the mix, the modelling becomes interesting.

Up Distant

[65447]

I will most probably have, but not any spare time at the moment to do the research. Feel free to remind me on or after Monday 12th November... a PM will drop right into my inbox.

[Phoenix]

Can I refer you to Railway Memories No.14, SELBY & GOOLE, page 81 an the photo at the top of the page. The caption reads: One of the handsome D20 4-4-0s, D20/2 No. 62386 restarts its local passenger train to Selby away from Staddlethorpe in the early 1950s. This engine had been rebuilt in the 1930s with long travel valves and a J39-style tender. G.W. Sharpe collection.

Immediately behind the engine is a Gresley BT(3). I have reason to believe the carriage was stabled at Selby.