ABOUT
ABOUT
Next running days - 11th May - Dereham Day / 12th May - Bus Day
Dereham Station Tea Room - Open Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun (10am-3pm)
County School Station Tea Room - Open Saturday-Sunday (10:30am-3:30pm)
British Railways Mark 1 Carriage​
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Upon the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 British Railways (BR) decided that due to the previous "Big Four" companies (GWR, LNER, Southern & LMS) all having had their own unqiue designs in carriage building, that they would incorporate the best features from each of the former companies into a standard carraige design, which then in turn gave birth to the design of the British Railways Mark 1 carriage. The main aspect of this new design was that it was much stronger, therefore in the event of an accident the passengers would have greater protection. The design however, did not just get used for locomotive hauled passenger carrying vehicles, it was incorporated into multiple unit stock and a variety of goods vehicles. Due to the design of these carraiges they could easily either be construced into First or Second Class vehicles.
During the privatisation in the 1990s the remaining Mark 1 locomotive hauled vehicles were withdrawn due to them having be progressively replaced by the newer Mark 2 and Mark 3 stock over the 1970s & 1980s. In the present day they can still be seen on the mainline with touring companies but they are mainly found on heritage railways due to the simplistic design and easy maintenance.
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Mark 1 Carriages at the MNR:
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At present there are 11 Mark 1 carriages on site, with the MNR owning 7 of these. Throught the last 4 years, starting in 2020, 5 out of the 7 MNR owned Mark 1 carriages have had various work, repaints and overhauls which have been completed inside Dereham Traction & Rolling Stock Restoration & Maintenance Shed. The shed was built with the support of the EU Leader Funding Rural Development Programme (Project Ref. 109532).
Number | Type | Built | Status | Notes | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E9010 | Brake Standard Open (Trolley) (BSO(T)) | 1963 Wolverton | In Service | Bought by the MNR in 2016. Vacuum braked & steam heated. Converted to an accessibility coach. | |
M16153 | Composite Corridor (CK) | 1961 Derby | In Service | Bought by the MNR in 2016. Vacuum braked & dual heated. | |
E4702 | Tourist Standard Open (TSO) | 1957 York | In Service | Bought by the MNR in 2020 from the Llangollen Railway. Vacuum braked & steam heated. | |
E13225 | First Corridor (FK) | 1959 Swindon | In Service | Bought by the MNR in 2015. Dual braked & dual heated. The coach underwent a 2-year overhaul of the interior and exterior from late 2020 to early 2023. The work was able to be completed via Government Covid Resilience Funding which was awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. | |
E14023 | Brake Corridor First (BFK) | 1963 Swindon | Undergoing Repairs | Bought by the MNR in 2023. Dual Braked & Dual Heat. | |
E1842 | Resturant Miniature Buffet (RMB) | 1960 Wolverton | Out of Service | Bought by the MNR in 2021. Dual braked & dual heated. Was brought to the railway in 2014 by the then owners. | |
M1966 | Unclassed Restaurant Car (RU) | 1962 Swindon | Stored | Bought by the MNR in 2013. Currently stored awaiting repairs | |
E1106 | Booth Car (RK) | 1962 Chas Roberts | Stored | Owned privately, brought to the MNR in 2009. Currently undergoing restoration. This a unqiue vehicle as it is the only one of its kind to have ever been built. | |
M35341 | Brake Second Corridor (BSK) | 1962 Wolverton | Stored | Owned privately. | |
E81014 | Gangwayed Full Brake (BG) | 1959 York | Stored | Owned privately. | |
E25994 | Second Corridor (SK) | 1962 Derby | Stored | Owned privately. Modified by the Travelling College as student dormitory in 1989. |