Another Delve into the Archive

 I thought it was time to have another rummage around in a box of former C&W member Michael Jackson's old photos for some items of interest on the railway from days gone by.

Being a relatively late-starting heritage railway, we never had the opportunity to acquire much in the way of pre-nationalisation coaching stock, BR Mk1s was all there really was. However, a few older vehicles have been present in the past, usually privately owned and sadly not restored.

These 2 LMS coaches caught my eye, as by the time I joined the railway they were both tarp'd up and left not long later, and I never saw them:

First is a "Period 1" Third Open coach 16696 built in 1925. The body looks relatively intact here, although the interior is non-existent.

And second is this early "Period 3" Third Corridor 1535 built in 1933. This design of coach actually set out a lot of the design for the later Mk1s, although still with wooden framing at this point, flush steel sides and steel roofs, large picture windows with sliding quarterlights, open and corridor versions being built.

Related is also this LNWR CCT which looks like it was actually restored at the railway at some point:

The photo was taken in 2006. I'd have loved to have lined that all out! The VCT entries for these 3 carriages also has this to say, which sounds interesting:

"During 2019 will be moved to a new railway engineering facility being set up in Gloucestershire where it is planned, among other things, to permanently house the vehicles in undercover accommodation and commence their restoration to 'as new' condition. (This facility will also accommodate LMSR 16696 and 32990 and LNWR 12196 (qv), as well as the interests of Churchill (8F) Locomotive Co.Ltd's 2-8-0 No 8274 and LMSR DE 0-6-0 shunter No 7069)."

No doubt the pandemic has interrupted these plans, which never happen as quickly as we'd like anyway, but best of luck to the owners, the more vintage carriages restored the better.

A stalwart of GWSR activities was the old P'way Mess coach. This was a Hawksworth brake third carriage and was in use from the first time the p'way department had a train until about 2011 when it was replaced with a converted BG fitted with kitchen.

This was as it arrived in the 1980s, courtesy of Andy B who sent some photos in off the back of Dave's post exploring the line a couple of weeks ago, thanks for those Andy!

It seemed to have spent most of its GWSR life in this rather odd shade of green:

But was brought into the workshops in 2006 when it was repainted into all over GWR brown:

By 2010 it was very tired and leaky, and once replaced it was sold to Didcot in 2013 where it is once again being restored for staff use. 

At one point we had a few Mk1 suburban non-corridor coaches on the railway. As far as I know none were ever restored. This was the last one to leave in 2007, 46116:

It went to Llangollen, who have restored some of these type of carriages, but hasn't been restored itself. Look at all those doors, we have enough trouble with 6 per coach!

I thought it was also worth including this picture of our 2 CCTs freshly painted in 2003:

They haven't been done since and are looking very sorry for themselves now (see pictures on the wagons page). I wonder if they're past the point of a summer outdoor paintjob to look nice in the yard...

And finally TSO 4763 before restoration, parked up where of course the paintshop now stands:

Happily this coach is now restored and running on the railway now on its second lease after visits to the workshop in 2008 and 2017.

Changing tac now, a couple of photos from a walk towards Laverton in 2006:

Obviously the aquaduct in the first shot, but what happened to what I presume was a p'way hut of some kind, did it eventually just collapse?

At the time, a/the plan for Broadway when we got there was to carefully dismantle the old station at Bourton-on-the-Water and rebuild it, just like Monmouth Troy at Winchcombe.

I'm sure it would have been nice, and of course it would have saved the building which is now sadly demolished (2013 I recall?) but I have to say, I think I prefer the absolute masterpiece the guys up at Broadway managed to build from scratch.

Back to Toddington now, and in 2004 the site David Page shed was being cleared:

What happened to the DMU in the siding? It's not the one we have now.

6960 Raveningham Hall stands outside watching the frame being erected. It must have been exciting for the loco department to have a proper building!

Finally one of Winchcombe station in 2004, when both platforms had been restored (but not tarmac'd) but only the original Monmouth Troy Station building was present. It manages to look a lot more sleepy here than it does today! I hope I don't offend anyone by saying I much prefer the BR(W) chocolate and cream colours of today than the red colour scheme in the photo though.

And to finish off, a few photos of guest locos from the 2007 steam gala, looks like it was a good line up!

J15 65462 at Toddington from the NNR (now in Y14 form in GER Blue) This was a guest for the Christmas Cracker gala rather than the main spring one.

Pannier 9642, standing behind...

P&O. Still a way to go at that point.

34007 Wadebridge, from the MHR at this point? 

S&DJR 7F 88 from the West Somerset

Prairie 5542 and autocoach - was this resident at the time or a guest?

and 1450 also with autocoach, which looks to be approaching Winchcombe. Same question as above, was this a guest or resident at the time?