Gresley Steel BTs, Push Pull conversions

[Atlantic 3279]

A friend with an interest in post-war GE section modelling seeks pictures of the driving end of a push-pull converted Gresley steel-panelled brake third. Can anybody assist please?

[65447]

These were converted from Dia. 294 BT(4) - 2 vehicles - and Dia. 319 BT(6) - 4 vehicles. One of the former and all of the latter were allocated to the Hull/Leeds Area sets leaving only one - E86955E - converted from a vehicle allocated to the GE Section, formerly numbered 62827. Bishop's records are incomplete on the date of conversion and it's subsequent allocation, but it was formerly in the London Area.

I think that it may have ended up at Gt Yarmouth, so study of photographs in that area and of Lowestoft and down to Beccles might prove fruitful.

Dia. 294 vehicles were arranged with the guard's door inboard of the ducket, which was next to the end of the body. Had the conversion followed the usual format this would have been replaced by a side window and the rear windows enlarged. However I'm not sure that this was the case. In Dr Allen's 'East Anglian Album', photograph 116 is of a two-car set being pulled by a B17 with the brake end next to the locomotive. If you have this then you will see that there are two electrical connectors visible below the end window rather than the usual one. These connectors were doubled up on Push-Pull fitted vehicles and so it might just be that the conversion was simply the provision of the driving gear internally and the additional electrical connections externally.

Further research finds in Dr Allen's '55 Years of East Anglian Steam', photograph 162 is of this same set behind N7/3 69679 but with the brake vehicle trailing. The ducket is clearly still in place which supports the above line of thinking.

On that basis, any photograph of a Push-Pull brake end showing the additional electrical connections - fitted to both ends of the Driving Trailer, the Gresley steel-panelled BT(8) running with it and the bunker of locomotive - should suffice.

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks, I'll pass on that information.

[65447]

I have found a (relatively) small monochrome photograph in a privately printed publication that confirms my assumptions, although it is possible that the driver's window may (or may not) be slightly enlarged. I will contact the compiler in an effort to obtain a larger/better definition image as I could use it myself in a planned series of articles for the GERS.

[Atlantic 3279]

Further thanks from the modeller on whose behalf I posted the original question:

"To 65447,
I do have Dr Allen's 'East Anglian Album' but the photo of 61622 with the PP set is poorly reproduced and the exact size of the end windows is not clear. However I have just remembered that Dr Allen's negatives are now held by The Transport Treasury and after looking through some 4000 entries I think I may have found the correct one - this has been sent for.

With regard to the D276 BT(4) I have a note of E86955 being in a set in which I travelled between Yarmouth Southtown and Lowestoft in 1956/7 - the 3rd was E82633.

Are you aware that the D319 coaches were built as both steel clad and wood clad? Isinglass drawing 618 shows both (including modifications for PP ). The notes on the drawing state that E86996 (wood clad) was converted to PP but no others.

Thanking you for your help, I will let you know if the photo from Transport Treasury was of any use.

Clive Impey"

[65447]

Further thanks from the modeller on whose behalf I posted the original question:

"With regard to the D276 BT(4) I have a note of E86955 being in a set in which I travelled between Yarmouth Southtown and Lowestoft in 1956/7 - the 3rd was E82633."

Glad to help - it was research I need to do at sometime anyway. The confirmation of the running number of the accompanying BT(8) is useful to me, so a quid pro quo.