The LNER Encyclopedia

Great Northern Railway 12 wheeled Brake Third Open Dining no. 436 built 1901

This carriage has previously been unrecorded on the Railway Heritage Register. It has come to light as the property it is located at is currently going through change of ownership. The new owner contacted the Bluebell Railway via Facebook.
On Sat 4th January members of the LNER Coach Association, LNER Society and GNR Society went the survey the carriage. Sadly, it is in poor structural condition and will be difficult to move. It was cut into 2 halves to move to site upon withdrawal in 1924, the none brake end has little floor left and lots of missing roof. Amazingly it has many picture frames complete with photographs and many original features.
The LNERCA can find use of many fittings from it to help with the restoration of East Coast Joint Stock Dining Car 189, however in light of the historical significance of this carriage (Howlden clerestory, 65’ body, 12 wheeler), we would be interested to hear from anyone who would like to save it. The LNERCA does not have resource or capacity to take this on. The best option would be to cut the body into sections to remove from site and put into store.

Facebook page with photos:
https://www.facebook.com/26388747696405 ... 293890082/

check pm's

I have replied. Can you check as it is in Outbox rather than Sent so don’t know if you have received it.

Sadly nobody was able to take this on as a project. Many avenues were explored but the condition and tight timelines made this impossible. Component recovery took place on Saturday 8th Feb. The body is being dismantled and the owners of GNR Luggage Composite at North Cave are going to take away much of the body framing. They are also hoping to save the ends including the guards duckets and restore those as a feature.
Teak panels, internal panelling, doors, partitions and fanlight fittings have been recovered and will go into the restoration of 2935, ECJS 189 and GNR carriages at Quainton.
Very sad but with 95% of the underfloor teak frame rotted away to nothing, cant rails and clerestory rails rotten you would have been looking at a complete new build using the remaining good bits. Plus half an acre of rain forest to provide timber for the underfloor framing.
What would the cost have been £500k, £600k, more? That’s just for the body, still a chassis to modify, lengthen/shorten/build from new.

I was in conversation with an LNER Society member, who went to visit the carriage in January, this weekend at Doncaster Show.

I trust that everything that has been removed can be accurately measured, to allow other parts to be reproduced as/or if required.

If it had been known about a decade earlier at least... who knows?

I trust some good will come of this.

John