Camping coaches

[Graeme Leary]

Were any teak coaches ever used as camping coaches? I have a 'spare' old Hornby teak I'm thinking of setting up on my club's layout as a camping coach. I realise it's prototypically incorrect but hope that with a bit of ageing it might be acceptable, however don't want to do a full teak repaint as for my own layout, (It's Hornby's version of a Brake 3rd R478 so that's possibly relevant as well).
Graeme Leary

[jwealleans]

Some 6 wheelers certainly were, repainted green and cream. I believe there were some articles in British Railway Journal on the subject not too long ago.

[majormagna]

I know BR used several pre-grouping bogie carriages as camping coaches (non-gangwayed stock), Grosmont had two until the 1960s I believe.

[2512silverfox]

Graeme

I am pretty sure that the only teak coaches used for camping purposes in teak were 6 wheelers; most of which later became green and cream.

No bogie teaks were employed on this service as far as I am aware.

Nick

[65447]

Some 6 wheelers certainly were, repainted green and cream. I believe there were some articles in British Railway Journal on the subject not too long ago.

BRJ 23, with corrigenda in BRJ 30.

The last 3 carriages that the LNER converted where from bogie stock and sited at stations on the M&GN route, now part of the LNER. Two were former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire vehicles and the last was ex-ECJS semi-open composite No. 292 to Dia. 10, a clerestory-roofed vehicle built by the NER in 1900.

Subsequently from 1952 BR converted 35 ex-GER non-gangwayed bogie carriages and in the early 1960s 11 former Pullman Cars.

No Gresley LNER teak-bodied vehicle was harmed by these conversions.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

To go slightly off topic, Stratford had a grounded Gresley open brake, used as a classroom for the (Diesel loco) boiler training school, also many Carriage sidings used grounded coaches as mess and store rooms.

manna

[Autocar Publicity]

A quick skim through Foxline's Camping Coach Holidays (vol 30 pt2) indicates timber-bodied bogie coaches, in particular photos on pages 39, 43 & 47 show some of the ex-GER coaches 65447 mentions. I don't know enough about GER construction to say what the timber was though.

More relevantly to the OP, the bottom photo on page 47 shows a 1958 conversion of a LNER diagram 23 corridor third....

(Graeme, will send you a scan via PM in a few minutes).

[Graeme Leary]

Thanks all (and for those sent as PM Autocar Publicity - and would it be possible to resend to me direct on graeme.leary@xtra.co.nz).

The 'grounded' aspect of old coaches (as mess cars etc) is another possibility as I want to reuse the moulded Hornby frames/underframes but again, could any of these grounded coaches have been teaks, left in their original finish (even if after not too long a time they no doubt became very 'tired' looking which a touch of weathering would replicate).

Graeme

[manna]

G'Day Gents

The grounded Gresley coach at Stratford, was painted all over matt mid grey.

manna

[mick b]

Google search shows a few photos 6 and Bogie vehicles in teak and Cream and Green.

[Autocar Publicity]

(E-mail sent Graeme).

The other possibility of course, is a grounded coach as a holiday home. (Pages 108&109 show an ex LNW and two GWR coaches like this). I believe the official camping coaches were left intact so they could be hauled away for a winter service each year, but there were some coaches - and indeed the autocar - separated from their chassis and placed in a particular location for private use as a holiday home. Or even a more permanent residence, as in the engine driver in the Titfield Thunderbolt.

[mossie]

Is there a list anywhere of post war camping coaches giving their diagram number and where they were located.

I am trying to find which coaches were at Potter's Bar in the early BR period, Summer 1950, this is for my layout.

[markindurham]

Resurrecting an old thread - I believe that the camping coaches at Scalby were ex GC 60' vehicles. Would anyone know more about them please? (The GC is not that well known to me, I'm afraid).

Thanks in advance.
Mark

[Cutter]

The attached may be of interest