Following nationalisation in 1948, the newly created
British Railways initially continued to construct
coaching stock based upon the designs of the 'Big Four'
railways. However, in 1951 the first of the standardised
Mark 1 coaches was manufactured; these coaches in their
various forms - sleepers, buffet and restaurant cars,
horse boxes and other non-passenger vans, griddle cars,
suburban non-corridor stock, etc - were built until 1963
and formed the mainstay of the passenger railway through
the 1960s and 1970s. Although now are all withdrawn from
regular service, a number remain registered for
main-line use through the operation of charter trains
whilst significant numbers have also survived into
preservation. From the early 1960s development work took
place on the replacement standard coaching stock; the
result was the Mark 2 that was launched in 1964. Built
over the next decade, the Mark 2 was constructed in
several different variants up to the Mark 2F. Each of
these variants saw distinct improvements to the
facilities differed although retaining the same basic
outline. As with the Mark 1 coaches, the Mark 2s are now
largely withdrawn, although a handful remain in
main-line service such as those on the Arriva Trains
Wales' Holyhead-Cardiff service; others have entered
preservation. This book is a follow-up volume to Hugh
Longworth's earlier encyclopaedic studies of steam
locomotives and DMUs. Each individual coach is listed,
according to Lot numbers, with information about where
they were built, introduction, withdrawal and fate.
Alongside the tabular material will be a selection of
mono photographs portraying the various types of coach
being described. BR Mark 1 and Mark 2 coaches are widely
preserved and can be seen at most of the major heritage
railways across the country including The Bluebell, the
Great Central Railway, North Yorkshire Moors Railway,
Swanage Railway and West Somerset Railway. |
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