Brake Corridor Third No 62515 is indeed a very interesting vehicle. Like TK No 10021, it was constructed in 1924 (although some sources also show the build date as early 1925) and therefore shares a common legacy with the Corridor Third in that it has many features which Gresley had brought to his standard carriages from his time at the Great Northern Railway. The genesis of these dates to 1905, when prototype 2799 was produced. The famous Gresley bogie, properly the Spencer-Moulton bogie, followed in 1908 and by 1921 GNR Gresley standard carriages were established and virtually indistinguishable from their LNER successors - for example, corridor first diagram GN 87 of that year could well be an LNER vehicle. Like 10021, 62515 was constructed with round queen post and turnbuckle truss bars on the underframe, and not with the later, much more substantial angle iron trussing. The underframes of 10021 and 62515 are largely identical, in fact. This feature places it firmly in the earlier phase of vehicle construction for this company. Also like 10021, it features domed vestibule ends and originally had Pullman gangways and buckeye couplings. Built of solid teak, its longevity is testimony to its solid construction and to the skills of the men who built it.

No 62515 was constructed at Stratford Works in East London - not York as previously stated, although the 60 foot underframes were manufactured there - to Diagram 38, and was part of Lot 59, in Carriage Building programme 1924/5. And here is where the story gets quite interesting. This batch of Brake Corridor Thirds (BTK.L) was designed for a specific duty, and that was working the Liverpool St to Harwich boat trains -specifically, for the Antwerp service, which departed 15 minutes behind the Hook of Holland train. It was restricted to these services because it was 9 ft 3 in wide and in 1924 the East Coast Main Line was not yet cleared for vehicles over 9 feet in width (such as 10021). It was third class, rather than the more expected second class on Continental boat trains, because the Antwerp train apparently carried passengers for Harwich Town who were not travelling on the steamer, and thus was unique to that service. It was vacuum brake fitted from the start, and study of the LNER diagram book shows that it was never fitted with the Westinghouse brakes which GE section trains often carried. There were 2 other Brake corridor designs in this particular Lot, Diagrams 39-which was identical to 38, but the more usual 9ft width and Diagram 114, which was the most common BTKL design.

62515 930Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway 16122ADE320680Converted to BTU Tool Van in 1959, later used as Internal User at Perth Carriage Sidings. Order No: 70 Diagram: 40 Built: 1924Builder: DoncasterDesign: Gresley Seats: 24T

After service on the Antwerp trains 62515 was transferred to general service stock following the clearance of the ECML for 9' 3" carriages in 1926. It probably came to Scotland some time in the 1930s. 62515 was re-numbered 4930 in the re-numbering scheme, then 16122, Sc16122E and lastly ADE 320680. This last numbering came when the coach was withdrawn from front line service in 1964 and converted at Cowlairs in 1965 to become a departmental vehicle. It was assigned to the Grangemouth Depot breakdown train as a running van, and still carries the legend on the side of this last official duty. In order to undertake this duty, several changes were made. The Pullman gangways and buckeye couplings were removed, and the ends boarded up where the gangways had been: screw couplings were also fitted at this time, and special tool compartments were fitted above the truss bars. The coach was purchased by the SRPS from BR in 1981 and taken to Falkirk depot, subsequently being transferred to Bo'ness.

At the present time of writing (March 2020), 62515, like many of the other hidden treasures of the collection, resides in the Reserve Collection Building. There it is safe from further deterioration, and is preserved in exactly the condition in which it was withdrawn. It is not nearly as bad as some would suggest, and retains a great many of the original features.

Principal Data

Length 61 foor 6 inches over body Underframe 60 feet
Breadth 9 foot 3 inches at waist
Height 12 feet 9 inches
Brake - automatic vacuum with reservoirs and admission valves.
Handbrake fitted in Guards compartment.
Couplers - buckeye
Compartments - 4
Capacity at build - 32 passengers
Heating - steam
Lighting - Stones electric.
References:
Harris, M (1993) LNER Carriages. Penryrn, Atlantic Publishers
Harris, M (1998) LNER Standard Gresley Carriages. Chertsey, Mallard Books
Jenkinson, D (1996) The History of British Railway Carriages 1900-1953. York, Pendragon.
Information has also been received from Michael Cope at the Vintage Carriages Trust.

I am indebted to Alastair MacPhee for the above historical introduction.

Below is a series of photos I took before we started "restoration" just to give you an idea of "where we are coming from". Sorry for the clichés. Click on any thumbnail to view larger or start a slideshow. All photos by DGC and are at native resolution, so download may be slow.

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