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What Seats Do You Want In Your Future Preserved MK3 Coach ?


Chy Mengrowyn Paul

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As the title says. Just a reminder that if you don't want high backed non tourist friendly seats in your vehicle, now is the time to get in touch with GWR and Porterbrook Leasing.

Our Night Riviera stock will soon start on their interior refurbishment so the seats and tables will soon be removed and available. Dating from the Great Western Trains refurbishment around 1996/7, First class style reclining seats in blue with Brown wood effect tables.

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Isn't the seating in the Midland Main Line sets that which was installed by BR in the 80s? 

 

We (by which I mean Derby Carriage A-shop), in the Teal and Tangerine era, comprehensively re-packaged the IC70 seats in that fleet.  They have different shape seat cushions and backsquabs (I won't bore you here with the ergonomic details or the fire improvements), to improve the comfort in both classes.  The seat backs were new mouldings to the same shape, however, and the leg and tube mechanical portion is as original.  I think we retooled the rubber armrest moulding however, to replace the ashtray fitted assemblies, and to enable an upholstered version, which is fitted in First, IIRC.

 

The same team (we were a bit prolific) also did fleet replacement and remanufacture of the GNER, Great Western and CrossCountry HSTs first time around.  At that time, you could not find spare IC70 standard class seat assemblies for love nor money.  A few First were found abandoned in the Heavy Repair shop at Wembley, and some more very shabby ones in a disused shed at Wolverton.  Not until MkII Es and Fs started to be withdrawn in quantity around 2002 (five years later!), did any salvageable standard class IC70s become abundant second hand.

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There is perhaps a bigger and more interesting question that says what place will Mk3 stock have in preservation ? I know a few vehicles are being acquired to work at GCRN with the prototype HST however I can't see a HST set having a place on a traditional preserved railway . Any hope must surely lie with a main line operator acquiring examples for charter work

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There are loco hauled Mk3s as well which can be used mixed with other (air brake) coaches - I think you would have to be a railway that had a decent fleet of diesels to take that plunge but they do exist...I'm thinking of the likes of the Mid Norfolk that already run Mk2 aircons - actually looking at their stocklist they already have a Mk3 RFM!

Some railways also operate with a more tourist than enthusiast angle, such as the Dartmoor Railway (also rostering Mk2 aircons) 

 

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Once HSTs enter preservation, I certainly see the larger lines such as the West Somerset, NYMR, Midland, Central etc having 2 power cars and a short set and the smaller lines should cope with a single power car and a coach or three so plenty of scope there. Preserving the interior ( ambience ) is just as important as the outside !

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