BR Period Locomotives: lnwrbns_br1823

Pressed into service on a West Country express is an ex-Midland and Great Northern corridor carriage wearing yellow-green livery on 6th September 1952. Just visible behind is a former North Eastern railway coach in teak, both vehicles being from pre-grouping companies which had been absorbed into the 'big four' on 1st January 1923. Mourton and Pixton state in volume one of their book Birmingham-Bristol Portrait of a Famous Route - Part One: Birmingham to Cheltenham that the photographer had a field day in recording vintage stock noting a 1907 American Boat Train van in Fish sidings, ex-Highland Railway and GWR stock on another West Country service plus others in surrounding locations. All demonstrating that the Second World War had obviously delayed the construction of new stock and that passengers of the time could on occasion be found travelling in Edwardian if not Victorian coaches.

David Spenceley writes, 'I have just discovered your website in pursuit of information relating to ex LNWR 50 ft Arc roof stock diags 138/216/268/316 in the early BR Period. These you might know are the coaches produced by Ratio Models. I was pleasantly surprised to find a photo of an ex M&GNJ coach at Birmingham New Street (as seen above'). The coach appears to correspond to 50 ft corridor third diag 268 which as is well documented, were transferred to the M&GNJ by the LMS . According to information provided by Ratio the Diag 268 corridor thirds were extinct from revenue service by 1947 with the longest surviving , Third Diag 316 brake third being extinct by 1952, hence the photo would seem to disprove this source albeit the information on these models is now quite old. Another source in RM website has indicated that 8 of the 21 diag 268 coaches transferred to the M&GNJ were surviving at the end of 1952. There has been speculation that some of these coaches survived to be painted in BR Crimson/Cream albeit perhaps without the upper crimson stripe due to lack of space. The coach photographed at New Street is said to be wearing yellow green livery and although having looked carefully, I cannot see a dividing line between the colours which even given the grime of the time you might expect to be just discernible. Was the livery recorded by the photographer or could this be from an original colour print or maybe are there further photos of these coaches in BR service in this livery ? Any information you know of or can point me to on the above subject would be appreciated.

Philip Millard, noted author and expert on LNWR coaching stock writes, 'I wrote the original prototype notes for the Ratio coach kits, and the information is perfectly correct for the LMS and BR(M). It is quite true that a number of coaches were transferred to the M&GN in the 1930's and these lasted somewhat longer. According to my records the former TK to D.268 lasted until 1953. After transfer to the M&GN they received the LNER ersatz "varnished teak" livery. I would be exceedingly surprised if any received the BR crimson/cream livery, which was never applied by BR(M) to elderly vehicles which worked out their remaining time in LMS maroon.

I have no idea what is meant by "yellow-green" livery.

For the record, this coach was turned out new on 22/09/99 as LNWR TK 2315 (D.268). It was one of the first of this type to be built on the bulb-iron frame, and with panels on the corridor side in place of the former non-door droplights. At the grouping it became LMS 4989 (applied 12/24) and then 2393 in the 1933 renumbering. It was transferred to the M&GN in 1937 and received LNER number 80122 (M&GN Diagram 4). It was again renumbered to 61023 in 2/50 (note the plain typeface of the numerals, and the added E suffix). It was withdrawn from revenue service in 5/53 but was not broken up immediately; in 1/55 it was transferred to service stock as S&T Toolvan DE320233. Its final withdrawal date is not recorded.

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