The LNER Encyclopedia

Hello to you all. I am new to this site and my interest is in OO gauge modelling which I have only very recently started.
I live in the N/east of Scotland and will base my layout on trains that would have run in Scotland pre diesel days, I will probably have a mix of some of the earliest diesels also I would guess.
My main question to all you "buffs" out there is as follows. I have aquired a number of carriages which I think are referred to as Gresely Teaks ??, these are fantastic looking carriages and I would very much like to find out more about them, ie where /when they were used and what type of engine would have pulled them. I have the following 1 x 61ft 6in Buffet car No 32372 , 4 x corridor 3rd class coaches No 364, 1 x corridor 3rd class coach No 1435, 2 x corridor brake coach No 32558 , 2 x 1st class corridor coaches No 318798.
What mix of coaches would you expect to find together ??, am I correct in saying a collection of coaches is referred to as a "Rake" ?.
I would very much welcome any information on these coaches.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.
Besr reagards John

Welcome to the forums John

It seems that you are indeed a novice in the world of railway modelling, and I myself am not exactly a high authority in it, especially with coaches

Those coaches in question are LNER corridor teaks and were designed by the great Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley in the late 20's or early / mid 30's for mainline and branchline duties (suburbans were considerably shorter and did not have connecting corridors). Rakes would typically consist of between 7 and 11 coaches (would someone please correct me on this if I'm wrong) depending on desired speed of a train, the loco hauling it and of course, the number of passengers that were expected for the service. Some types of locomotive that would typically haul rakes of teaks are D11, V2, K3, A1, A3, A4, K3 and B17.

To my knowledge a typical rake would have two brake cars (one at each end, certainly for high speed expresses) and one or two buffet cars. The rest would be made up with regular 3rd and 1st class coaches.

Believe me, by the forum's standards this is not rambling at all. We are all very happy to help.
Hope this answers your question, and once again welcome to the forums

Thank you "Blackout" for a very speedy and informative reply. It seems I have quite a choice of engine type when I get this rake on the rails. Any further information that you or anyone else thinks may be of interest to me on this subject will be very welcome. Any particular web sites you would reccomend. Regards John

Join RM Web if not already there. There are recent threads on The Waverley Route and Longdrem & Pinkhill Branch layout both have threads feature suitable Locos etc

Ay up, John!

If you want to know more about Gresley Teaks, then have a read of an Eric Treacy book. They were in widespread use until the mid 1960s with two or three buffet cars lasting till about 1980. The full brakes went in the late 1970s.

Which engines? All of 'em - they got everywhere. For example, the very last Pines Express to Bournemouth to run via the Somerset and Dorset had three Gresley coaches at the head of its otherwise smart rake of Mk1 coaches.

If you're running early diesels, then they would need to be in lined maroon. However, remember its your trainset so if you're happy....

[quote="Blink Bonny"]Ay up, John!

Which engines? All of 'em - they got everywhere. For example, the very last Pines Express to Bournemouth to run via the Somerset and Dorset had three Gresley coaches at the head of its otherwise smart rake of Mk1 coaches.

Since when are MK1s smarter than Gresleys!!!!! just because B.R tried to paint them and that didn't work they still look better. And ride better than those GWR insired BR1 bogies.

Ay up!

All I'm saying is that the Gresleys broke up the lines of the Mk1s.

I prefer Gresleys meself, but....

Blink Bonny wrote:I prefer Gresleys meself, but....

Carry on

(wearily) Ay up!

Well, the Mk1s beat the pants off the Mk4s and Virgin "cattle trains" we have to put up with now. Jiggly ride, cramped seats, poor ingress of daylight, badly thought out seat placements and as for those "airline" seats? Don't get me started!