The LNER Encyclopedia

At the risk of bringing up an "old" subject once more, I am interested in the interior decoration of the Coronation Obsevation Car. The LNER streamlined train section on my site (http://www.elegantsteam.com) is hugely popular and outstrips all other sections. So - I have a mind to try to illustrate, in 3D, the interior of the Car ( and some of the other coaches, too). Problem - while I have quite a bit of information on the vehicles, the actual colouring eludes me other than rather vague references. I suppose that the original specifications have been lost for, for example, the colour of the ceilings, etc. If anyone has information on this point or any other information on the interiors generally I would be very grateful.

Don Marshall
NB - I can be contacted either through a reply here or via the Comments section on my site.

Search engine at NRM is probably your best bet, they have some specifications there.

I've checked the Norman Newsome Paper to the Inst Loco E on LNER Carriage and Wagon Design and there's only a brief mention.

There is a small scale 'floor plan' of the whole train in David Jenkinson's The History of British Railway Carriages 1900 - 1953, Pendragon 1996, 1-899816-03-8. The plan was taken most likely from a contemporary issue of the Railway Engineer or Railway Gazette. Unfortunately the author does not go into the same level of interior detail as he does for the Silver Jubilee, but there are a few official photos albeit none of the Observation Car interior.

Michael Harris' LNER Carriages, recently reprinted, see viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4596 has an interior view down the length of the car towards the rear, which gives a good idea of the various sections and shapes of Rexine used on the ceiling as well the Art Deco motif. Unfortunately Harris only describes the colour schemes used in the ordinary carriages.

A friend of mine has been producing 7mm scale etches for a complete Coronation train and the last list I have shows the 'Beavertail' under development. You could enquire of him in case he has the information you seek, he's pretty hot on detail: Peter Dobson, Newbold Models newbold@modelrail.net.

If you do happen to find an answer please let us know...

Well acutally you are in luck! There is in the NRM a book of material swatches used in these observation cars. I have photos of them if you can't get there yourself.

Sawdust.

Thanks for the replies.
65447 - I am now in contact with Peter Dobson. Thanks for the lead.
Sawdust - Yes, I would very much like copies of the materials. If you could send them to - donem65@hotmail.com. Incidentally, which book were the swatches in ?

Living in Southern Spain makes it a bit difficult to pop in to the NRM, but I am determined to go there with a shopping list later in the year.

Don Marshall