Beavertail operations

[Golden Eagle]

Prompted by Hornby’s Cornonation set and it’s beavertail observation car:

 

How was the observation car turned between journeys? Was it taken off to the nearest turntable?

[Bucoops]

I believe so. They were only used once a day and only in summertime so there was no particular rush on turning them.

[pH]

Here’s a picture on the turntable at Mallaig:
 

http://www.rvp-ltd.org.uk/images/1719-new.jpg

Edited January 19, 2022 by pH
Replace link

[AMJ]

In Sri Lanka they take he observation car off and turn it on the table.

 

Certain Rail Roads in USA keep the stock in a fixed formation and turn the complete train on a loop or triangle.  This might be the best option as LNER probably expected a certain vehicle next to the observation car.

 

Without a copy of the carriage working diagram for both north and south bound trains it's difficult to say.

 

[Bucoops]

31 minutes ago, AMJ said:

In Sri Lanka they take he observation car off and turn it on the table.

 

Certain Rail Roads in USA keep the stock in a fixed formation and turn the complete train on a loop or triangle.  This might be the best option as LNER probably expected a certain vehicle next to the observation car.

 

Without a copy of the carriage working diagram for both north and south bound trains it's difficult to say.

 

 

I *believe* the Coronation formation was always Coach A at the London end and H at the Scotland end.

 

I should say, this is all related to when the Coronation was running, I have no idea what they did when both Beavertails were in use only in Scotland after Nationalisation.

[ardbealach]

They were employed on the West Highland line in BR maroon livery in an altered condition with less of a beaver tail (I think I recall)   One ran GLW to FW and the other one from FW to Mallaig.  No doubt a carriage and wagon expert will add more.  The Devon Belle observation car ran on the Glasgow - Oban route. (Alisdair)

[Steamport Southport]

I would think the whole train was removed to the carriage sidings for cleaning after arrival and was probably turned on a triangle. Several triangles outside Kings Cross at the time and I assume there was at least one in Edinburgh.

 

In later years after the train was split up there is definitely evidence of it being turned on a turntable. There is at least one photograph of it being turned.

 

 

Jason

[Shed Driver]

The observation coaches were also in maroon in their original condition.  There is a film ( I think in the Railway Roundabout series) showing one at Fort William in Maroon.

 

Norman

[Ken.W]

On 17/01/2022 at 14:21, Bucoops said:

 

I *believe* the Coronation formation was always Coach A at the London end and H at the Scotland end.

 

 

East Coast expresses were generally formed - and still are -to have the First Class at the buffers at Kings X, so nearest to platform entrance / exit

[luckymucklebackit]

In West Highland days it would have been easy at the Queen Street End, ECS taken from the station up to the Cowlairs Triangle then into the carraige sidings, the Buchanan Street to Oban one would probably have been turned on the turntable at Buchanan Street station.  Where a turntable was involved it must have been time consuming, as you would have to move the rake to the CS, remove the observation car, take to turntable and run round, place in a siding, get the rest of the rake and shunt onto the observation car, no wonder they were phased out!

 

JIm

Edited January 26, 2022 by luckymucklebackit