gn directors saloon LNER 43909

hq1hitchin · Post by **hq1hitchin** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:28 pm

A long shot this - I am involved with the ex GNR directors saloon 43909/DE942090 which is kept on the Bluebell Rly. Whilst we know quite a bit about its history in the late 1950s/1960s, little is known about its use in LNER or GNR days. Anybody got any info that might be of use, please? It is thought to have been on the ill fated chief officers tour just after the war, where a series of minor disasters, including one where the tender and engine parted company, resulting in engine 2000 being produced!

At present it sits inside the carriage shed at Horsted Keynes being re-wired internally, apart from that it is in good shape and should be back in traffic late spring.

wehf100 · Post by **wehf100** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:25 pm

A beautiful coach indeed. Alas it makes me so sad that as a GCR fan the MSL directors saloon of 1890 was written-off in Scotland in the 1970's...

I have no info, but have you spoken to the great Northern Railway Society? I am certain they will have info.

Will

hq1hitchin · Post by **hq1hitchin** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:49 pm

Thanksl, wehf100 - will try them certainly. We were very lucky to be able to buy the GN saloon straight out of traffic in 1969 and, as railwaymen, were even luckier to be able to squirrel it away free in the Coronation Shed at Hornsey CS until 1971. It went to the Bluebell in that year as they were then the only railway with a carriage shed, essential if clerestory stock is to stay healthy!

What ill fate befell the MSLR saloon, - do you know?

Bill Bedford · Post by **Bill Bedford** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:28 pm

hq1hitchin wrote: What ill fate befell the MSLR saloon, - do you know?

A heavy shunt.

But then there were two other GN saloons that did not survive, Gresley's saloon that was kept at Lincoln and used for route learning in the 60's and the civil engineers saloon which I'm not sure what happened to that.

hq1hitchin · Post by **hq1hitchin** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:16 pm

Certainly things of those days were very frail compared to more modern stock. Our's once had the headstock pulled clean out by a heavy handed driver on a WC!

Not sure where other GN saloons might be now, pretty certain that Bill Mcalpine's GN saloon sits in the shed at Clapham Yard, in a formation of stuff that I don't think has moved for years. Could that be HNG's I wonder - it's got the late GN type of roof?

Originally 43909 was down for scrapping, all they wanted was a few chairs out of it - lol

Bill Bedford · Post by **Bill Bedford** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:42 pm

hq1hitchin wrote:
Not sure where other GN saloons might be now, pretty certain that Bill Mcalpine's GN saloon sits in the shed at Clapham Yard, in a formation of stuff that I don't think has moved for years. Could that be HNG's I wonder - it's got the late GN type of roof?

This is the CME's saloon on route learning duties c. 1960. It is said to have been rebuilt from the Prince of Wales's saloon in the early years of the last century.

hq1hitchin · Post by **hq1hitchin** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:47 pm

Wow - what a vehicle! Sadly, suspect log gone, is that pic in the public domain, pse?

The one in the shed at Clapham far more modern than that

Bryan · Post by **Bryan** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:14 pm

Any guesses as to a location?

Bill Bedford · Post by **Bill Bedford** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:35 pm

Bryan wrote:Any guesses as to a location?

March, Whitemoor Junction

R. pike · Post by **R. pike** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:09 pm

yup Whitemoor Junction is the location with 73 disc on the goods avoiding line and the rodding for the up March fogging machine just behind the coach... 73 disc was one of two signals operated by the same lever along goods avoiding for setting back into Whitemoor yard.. There is a roof of a small hut visible above the coach. The hut is still there despite all the remodelling that has gone on..