Information regarding Eastern region coach w/ veranda

[Darthos]

Hey there guys,

 

Probably an obvious one, but does anyone know what coach this is? An internet search has proven fruitless, unfortunately, though I know it was taken at Abergavenny '89. Does seem to be of Eastern design, though I'm probably wrong.

 

Cheers

 

[DaveF]

It's a Great Eastern Railway Director's saloon, No.1, built in 1920 to diagram 34.

 

It was later the General Manager's saloon.  In 1925 it was LNER No 61, in 1948 BR DE962450.

 

It's Gresley bogies which it had acquired at some time were replaced by GER pattern in 1934

In preservation days plated for use on BR as 99050.

 

It was preserved by the late Sir William McAlpine in 1971.

 

Below are some photos of it on the High Dyke branch and iron ore lines when Flying Scotsman and Pendennis Castle were at Market Overton.

 

I had several rides in it at the time, it was a very nice coach indeed, just the place for a Sunday picnic when hauled by a steam loco along a very quiet stretch of privately owned railway.

 

Market Overton Bass Charrington No 5   and GER saloon No 1.    July 72 C1019  (and NER Saloon 305)

 

 

Sewstern Class 03 D2381 and Avonside Fred   with GER Saloon No.1  Jan 74 C1463  (and the Caledonian Railway observation car)

 

 

Sewstern A3 4472 Flying Scotsman and GER Saloon 1 Market Overton to Nottingham Mar 74 J3587

 

 

Note:  Information taken from "Preserved Railway Carriages"  Lloyd and Brown, Silver Link publishing  ISBN 0947971750  1992

Captions from my notes at the time as I was there.

 

 

Edited to correct punctuation.

 

David

Edited April 5, 2018 by DaveF

[Darthos]

Brilliant answer; thank you.

[DaveF]

I've found a few more photos Dad and I took of it in 1974.

 

 

Sewstern Class 03 D2381 Jan 74 C1461     GER 1 is second coach

 

 

Sewstern A3 4472 Flying Scotsman ecs Market Overton to Nottingham Mar 74 J3588

 

 

Stainby 4472 Flying Scotsman Market Overton to Nottingham GER saloon No 1 is front coach March 74 J3589

 

 

High Dyke A3 44473 Flying Scotsman from GER saloon Mar 74 J3591

 

 

High Dyke 4472 Flying Scotsman Market Overton to Nottingham GER saloon No 1 is front coach March 74 J3592

 

 

High Dyke 4472 Flying Scotsman Market Overton to Nottingham GER saloon No 1 is front coach March 74 J3593

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darthos]

Great photos. It's a very nice coach, indeed, though I'm surprised at the lack of information online. Do you know, at all, where it's based now? 

[DaveF]

If you want to find information about a particular preserved carriage the Vintage Carriages Trust is always worth looking at, their website has detai.kls of most (if not all) preserved carriages.

 

According to their site GER No 1 is currently at Fawley Hill, where Bill McAlpine lived.

 

A link to their details of the coach:  www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=825

 

For some reason the link seems to take forever to load so I suggest you just search for "GER saloon No 1",  the VCT site was the first result.

 

Of course, you can only do a search for a particular item if you already know what you are looking for!

 

 

David

Edited April 6, 2018 by DaveF

[balders]

At the moment the VCT are having web site issues that they are trying to resolve but are still struggling with. Appears to be down completely for me today so far and when it does appear it takes an age.

 

Regards

 

Guy

[Wickham Green]

At the moment the VCT are having web site issues that they are trying to resolve but are still struggling with. Appears to be down completely for me today so far and when it does appear it takes an age.

 

Regards

 

Guy

Yes, the VCT site is still struggling to connect to the outside world but searching for "GER saloon No 1", as suggested, tracked it down eventually ( via No.63 at Blaenavon ! ) ......... seems to be at Fawley Hill at present - though I don't know what the future is there with Sir William's sad passing.