21C4 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Hello all, As far as I have been able to find out, in the mid 60's BR(S) ran two car Maunsell sets between Reading-Tonbridge and Tonbridge-Brighton. These sets were (again as far as I have been able to ascertain) made up of a BSK and a CK. Has anyone any idea how the carriages were arranged - brake end outwards or towards centre of the formation, and 1st class compartments at end or towards middle of the train? Did they run just as a two coach set or did they form part of a larger formation? Sorry for such a cumbersome question but I've not been able to source any photographic evidence, so would appreciate any info. Many thanks and good modelling. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted February 15, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 15, 2012 semgonline.com has a page for coach sets: http://www.semgonlin...coach/sets.html on this page is a link to an excel file of coach sets, which for your 2-car sets gives sets 181-192, 217-219, 444-467 all listed as formed 1963 and disbanded 1964/65 depending on set. it also lists the coach numbers in each set. (note, these are the sets i filtered out as being read-ton, ton-bri) in the section on maunsell coaches: http://www.semgonlin...h/maunco01.html there are a couple of pics of relevant sets, which show the brake van at the end. which way round the CK is i don't know, maybe someone who knows the stock better will be able to tell. the pics also show trains made up of more than one set or a set + other coaches in the caption it mentions the sets being formed in 1963 from older sets. i.e 2-car sets 219 and 459 used vehicles from the original 8-car eastbourne set 219 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Keefer, Many thanks, you have given me at least half of the answers and I'm grateful for the links to the Southern E Group. I shall follow up the suggestion in the script and consult David Gould's book, I know where to get hold of it. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted February 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2012 There's lots ot interesting archive footage on the Southern Railway Films channel, which does include some of these sets. http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthernRailwayFilms Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 There's lots ot interesting archive footage on the Southern Railway Films channel, which does include some of these sets. http://www.youtube.c...ernRailwayFilms Great stuff. I've had a quick look and will have a detailed look when the grandchildren have gone home after half-term. Many thanks! John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted February 16, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 16, 2012 Maunsell sets continued to be used on the Reading - Tonbridge services right up to the official end of steam on the line in January 1965, when the Tadpoles, supplemented by Class 33 + stock on a few peak turns, took over. As the end of steam drew nearer, the Maunsell sets operated alongside Bullied and Mk1 3-car sets. Originally, the Maunsells operated as 4-car sets of BSK(6 compo)+CK+CK+BSK(6 compo) with the brake ends outermost. Set numbers and individual coaches are as you know listed on the SEMG website linked above. Then around 1963 the Maunsell sets changed to be 2-car formed BSK(6)+CK, with two such sets used together to maintain 4 coach trains. Normally the first class section of the CK and the brake end of the BSK would be outermost in the set. However, the sets could in practice be marshalled in any order BSK+CK+BSK+CK or CK+BSK+BSK+CK were common as well as the more normal BSK+CK+CK+BSK. By this time the CKs had first class yellow stripes, not yet produced by Hornby. Incidentally, until the Oxted units arrived and the Tonbridge-Tunbridge Wells-Eastbourne services were dieselised, many of the R-T steam services were in practice through workings between Reading and Eastbourne. As to photographic evidence, there are plenty of colour photos in the Ian Allan colour albums of Southern (region) steam and also in the more recent Capital Transport books by Michael Welsh covering Southern region steam. Sorry, but I don't have them to hand to give you some specific references. This is where my interest in railways comes from - being taken as a child to watch the steam trains from various foot crossings and overbridges between Dorking and Reigate - by that time the only steam locally in an oasis of EMUs. EDIT for silly typos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2012 This is where my interest in railways comes from - being taken as a child to watch the steam trains from various foot crossings and overbridges between Dorking and Reigate - by that time the only steam locally in an oasis of EMUs. Snap. I was born more or less opposite Brockham Crossing, by which I stood on 3rd Jan 1965, when I think 1 final steam train passed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The book "Last days of steam - South Eastern and Chatham" has quite a few photos of these 2 car sets, including at least one of the sets that used a former boat train nondedscript brake. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 I never expected such quick, concise and informed responses to my question, I feel quite humbled. I think I can now say that my education is complete, subject to frequent revision of the data supplied. I have also learned of several new areas of research. My thanks to keefer, RFS, Olddudders and pete-mcfarlane. Well done chaps, Job jobbed. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.