The LNER Encyclopedia

I think it is generally accepted that the LNER ceased to add primrose and red lining to its teak corridor coaches around the outbreak of World War 2 and that it was never revived. Certainly. Thompson's were never lined out.

Shock-horror, there is a picture in Mike Blakemore's 'LNER in Transition' page 21 of A1 60134 in LNER green with 'British Railways 'on the tender dated 16th April 1949, and the leading coach is ex-works in teak with a white roof and the sides and ends are clearly lined out. This is no reflection off beading, its too bright particularly on the end of the coach. It carries no door markings (3rd class corridor coach) but has a running number at the RH end. Might be gold/red or might be BR Gil Sans).

The old Big-Four companies were still finishing coaches in their company liveries at this time up until around May 1949 just prior to adopting crimson & cream (blood & custard). Lined out Gresley corridor coaches must have been one last fling by Doncaster's painters.

Any thoughts gentlemen?

Larry Goddard

I have seen pictures of LNER Thompson Flat sided Steel Stock were they went to the trouble of creating "panels" on the coaches in scumbled teak paint and very well done too. I think there is one restored on the NYMR ?
I have never seen a decent picture of postwar Gresley stock .

mick b wrote:I have seen pictures of LNER Thompson Flat sided Steel Stock were they went to the trouble of creating "panels" on the coaches in scumbled teak paint and very well done too. I think there is one restored on the NYMR ?
I have never seen a decent picture of postwar Gresley stock .

The Gresley and Thompson steel carriages (at least the passenger-carrying ones) were out-shopped in a very good simulated teak finish, and complete with lining in the early days. The reason was simple; varnished teak was the LNER carriage livery regardless of the base material so varnished teak is what they were made to resemble, even to the extent of shading the 'beading' and varying the colour of different panels.

I concur with Larry that the carriage in the photo shows every sign of the full lining, not just on the ends but probably on the main beading too. There might also be a lower panel repair between the 4th and 5th compartment doors. However, I count only 7 compartment doors in a full-length vehicle, which makes it a 1st class carriage to Dia. 1, and of later build since it has the angle trussed underframe - of which it seems that only 7 were built, the last 2 in 1939. The 1st was allocated to the GC Section, the next to the GE Section for the Continental Boat Train, the next 3 to the GN Section, and the final 2 to the GE Section. The GE Section vehicles were maintained at Stratford, where the ex-GER spirit lingered long, painting locos in GE grey until the late 1920s and avoiding applying LNER and later BR livery for as long as could be got away with. Without the running number it's impossible to be sure, but the last 2 built were transferred from the GE Section to the Scottish Region c1949 and just perhaps it was Stratford's way of giving a good send-off?

The other plausible alternative would be one of 11018/9/20 of the former GN Section.

mick b wrote: I have never seen a decent picture of postwar Gresley stock .

Mike Blakemore's 'LNER in Transition' has more than a few, well into the 1950s