Spare coaches at Evercreech Junction and Templecombe

[andreas]

For my model of  Evercreech Junction I am researching the spare coaches that were kept there. They were mainly used for emergencies, for example to help passengers on the down Pines Express make their connections at Templecombe if the Pines ran very late.

 

As far as I know, initially two Maunsell rebuilt LSWR coaches were assigned to Evercreech Jct from 1954 to 1959: S2626, a lavatory brake third to D98, and S4654S, a lavatory composite to D285. They are reasonably well documented in photos and e.g. Mike Kings books and Brian McDermott's Modeller's Guide. Afterwards, there must have been a single LMS coach and van for which I have been trying to find details for a while.

 

There is an intriguing Ivo Peters photo in Mendips Engineman showing 40698 with what is described as a scratch train from the Junction to Templecombe. Unfortunately, the photo is undated and also relatively small (and my poor phone scan does not help either)

The train consists of what is probably a six wheeled brake van and an LMS period two vestibule third in crimson and cream. What appears to be the same open third also appears in the background of several other photos alongside the Maunsell coaches. For example on https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=188807 and Revd. Alan Newman's photo in CG Maggs' West of England. These two photos are dated: 25th and 26th April 1954. The van is a bit of a mystery to me. It has characteristics of many different designs but I have yet to find one that matches all: the elliptical roof profile matches LMS and GWR practice. The panelled sides and full length step boards point to a pre-grouping origin. From the overall look and feel an LMS Stove R is most similar but the panelling, step boards and missing ducket rule out this option.

 

Now to my questions. Does anyone have additional detail around the spare coaches kept at Evercreech Jct? How likely is it that the Mendips Engineman photo shows one of the spares, especially considering what appears to be the same coach appears in 1954 when the Maunsell rebuilds had only just been assigned? If not, what could this train have been for? Also, can anyone identify the van in the photo?

 

Additionally, there was a departmental or spare coach stationed at Templecombe in at least the period from summer 1961 to August 1964. Maroon ex-LMS P1 D1962 vestibule third number M8439M appears in many photographs of Templecombe lower yard, for example https://www.flickr.com/photos/trains-travel/24017677063/. The number is clearly visible in at least one HC Casserley close up.

Can anyone shed light on what this coach was used for?

[KeithMacdonald]

Is this something similar? Different loco and different coaches, but same purpose (perhaps)?

 

 

[Tallpaul69]

2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Is this something similar? Different loco and different coaches, but same purpose (perhaps)?

 

 

Surely this is a Highbridge train waiting for a train to Bath to stop after which it would shunt to the up platform to pick up its passengers?

I say this because of the southern vans and the Ivatt 2-6-2. The latter were, I think used more on the branch than the S&D Bath line?

[andreas]

1 hour ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Is this something similar? Different loco and different coaches, but same purpose (perhaps)?

This is almost certainly a Highbridge branch train from the 1964/65 period, when a single brake composite and a van were the norm. Up to the end of the 1950s branch trains consisted almost exclusively of LMS non corridor brake third and composite pulled by a ex MR 1P, 3F or an Ivatt tank. From c1960 the formation slowly changed, first to GWR non-corridor 2-sets and then single brake compos.

As far as I know neither LMS 4-4-0s nor the Evercreech spare coaches were regularly used over the branch.

[BMacdermott]

Hello Andreas

 

I believe my Poll Team colleague, Chris Knowles-Thomas, and I discussed this some time back. Will let you know.

 

I agree that Keith's photo is mid-60s.

 

Brian (Macdermott)

[BMacdermott]

Hello Andreas

 

We came to the conclusion it was an LMS Period II Diag.1807 TO and a GER BZ as per the MRC cover attached - there were two similar looking
diagrams, distinguished only by their length:-

32' 0" Diag.536E, Nos.E6632-6649E (gaps)
34' 6" Diag.540E, Nos.E6650-6669E (gaps)

So, we are confident it's one or the other.

 

I'm sorry if the photo is a little unclear, but the original I had would only load here upside down! So you have a photo of a scan!

 

Brian (also on behalf of Chris)
 

[andreas]

8 hours ago, BMacdermott said:

We came to the conclusion it was an LMS Period II Diag.1807 TO and a GER BZ as per the MRC cover attached - there were two similar looking
diagrams, distinguished only by their length:-

 

Thanks Brian (and Chris). The GER van is indeed a perfect match. I had checked a good number of LMS, GWR and SR books for hints, but looking for an East Anglian vehicle never crossed my mind.

Did you or Chris come to any conclusions what the purpose of the depicted train was or when the photo was taken? I would have thought the van's parentage made it an unlikely candidate to be stationed semi-permanently on the S&D and I don't think I've ever seen it in other photos.

 

However, a LMS D1807 does appear several times from 1952 to 1954. While I cannot prove it, I rather think it must be the same coach as gangwayed vestibule coaches were extremely rare on the branch until c1961.  Here the photos I've found so far. The dates are rather interesting and could indicate the D1807 was the assigned before the Maunsell Rebuilts and was withdrawn or reassigned shortly after the new coaches arrived.

 

4th August 1952 at Highbridge (photo by John J Smith, available from https://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/)

 

8th August 1953 at Evercreech Jct (Ivo Peters plate 157)

 

25th April 1954, together with Maunsell rebuilt coaches at Evercreech Jct (Gerald Druce  https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=188806 

 

26th April 1954.  (Revd Alan Newman, CG Maggs West of England)

 

Undated (Heyday of the S&D)

 

Unfortunately, none show the accompanying van, which must have existed to accommodate the guard. I did, however, find one Ivo Peters photo from 12th July 1952 (plate 102), which shows what could be a van but hides whatever was behind it. The photo Can anyone identify it? Despite the grainy picture, the roof implies it is not an LSWR/SR coach and I think not an LMS-built vehicle or the GER BZ either.

 

 

In case anyone is interested, the Evercreech spare coaches did occasionally venture over the branch, for example to strengthen Burnham excursion trains.  https://railphotoprints.uk/p752970880/h192d988d, taken on the August Bank Holiday in 1956, shows 40569 with what is almost certainly the Evercreech Maunsell rebuilts and a selection of LMS coaches. Pines Express no. 203 contains a similar photo from 30th July 1955 (but with more SR rebuilds).