BR steam era excursion train formations

[dpgibbons]

I'm planning to form two summer excursion trains from the LMR and the ER for my 50's/60s N Gauge SR/WR layout in Dorset. Any suggestions please as to appropriate carriage formations within the constraints of what's available RTR?

 

I'm assuming there would be a lot of older stock and plenty of SOs and luggage capacity, and little or nothing in the way of first class or refreshment capacity. Haulage would presumably be SR/WR locos with an occasional MR/ER loco working through with a local crew.   

[Aire Head]

While I can't help with formations i can help slightly with what's available RTR.

 

Replica used to do a Stanier "Period 3" excursion open third which crop us on eBay relatively frequently and is capable of being brought up to modern standards if your that way inclined.

[doilum]

1 hour ago, dpgibbons said:

I'm planning to form two summer excursion trains from the LMR and the ER for my 50's/60s N Gauge SR/WR layout in Dorset. Any suggestions please as to appropriate carriage formations within the constraints of what's available RTR?

 

I'm assuming there would be a lot of older stock and plenty of SOs and luggage capacity, and little or nothing in the way of first class or refreshment capacity. Haulage would presumably be SR/WR locos with an occasional MR/ER loco working through with a local crew.   

It is recorded that the formation for the Cutsyke Working men's Club annual seaside excursionhad a full brake / parcels coach marshalled in the middle where the steward could set up several barrell's and handpumps for the free bar.

[jonny777]

25 minutes ago, doilum said:

It is recorded that the formation for the Cutsyke Working men's Club annual seaside excursionhad a full brake / parcels coach marshalled in the middle where the steward could set up several barrell's and handpumps for the free bar.

 

Sounds like my kind of excursion. 

[chrisf]

I do not know whether other Regions followed the practice of the Western.  Someone will know, though, and in the hope of flushing them out I offer this info about the [G]WR.  The WR had some sets built for special/excursion work, forned with an open brake third at each end and a suitable number of open thirds in between.  This continued well into the BR era and until the early 1960s it was a fair bet that trains on the WR with open brake seconds/thirds in the formation were specials.  By contrast the Eastern used its open brake thirds in regular trains for the simple reason that they had eight more seats than the BSK.  On the WR there would also have been occasions when a spare ordinary set was pressed into service.  The foregoing assumes that we are talking long distance/main line but there were also excursions to Barry Island from the Valleys which were strictly non-corridor.

 

Chris

[Bulleidnutter]

I would imagine they would look quite similar to the footex's as well. Any odd collection of coaches cobbled together for the work. 

 

[doilum]

7 hours ago, jonny777 said:

 

Sounds like my kind of excursion. 

Not for the faint hearted or delicate constitution!

[TheSignalEngineer]

The LMR had a lot of open stock, between 1925 and 1940 they built thousands. Naturally the newer stock was extensively used on ordinary main line duties with period 1 examples mainly kept for holiday trains and excursions. Compartment stock, some of great age, was also used. 

The ER had a lot of Gresley opens which could be found in full rakes or mixed with other stock. There was a record of a Thompson non corridor lav composite making it through to east Devon on a holiday train via Bath Green Park.

Other than BR stock the Opens have been virtually neglected by manufacturers in all scales. 

Loco workings would have depended on route. Anything coming S&D would have local power south of Bath. ER trains often came via Basingstoke changing loco was frequently done at Oxford. Contemporary records of special workings often appeared in Trains Illustrated and Railway Observer.