Great Northern Railway and East Coast Joint Stock Carriages from 1905, by Michael Harris
Book published by The Oakwood Press in 1995, 160 pages. Paperback (N6178P1)
From the author's note: Pre-Grouping carriages? They must be out of the ark - I can't see why they should be of interest to anyone! Be ready to be surprised, for the multitude of interesting carriages produced for the Great Northern Railway (GNR), Great Northern/North Eastern Joint Stock (ECJS) and the East Coast Joint Stock were long-lived.
You might well have seen them, once you appreciate that the last of these veterans departed from BR service during the late 1960s and that, if you are a railway mod eller, there would be nothing to stop you running a class '40' ('English Electric Type 4') at the head of a rake of stock including either vestibuled former GNR stock in BR blood and custard livery, or a BR maroonliveried former GNR catering vehicle. It is certainly possible that a 'Western' class diesel-hydraulic might have worked an excursion train which featured a cafeteria car converted from a just pre-1914 GNR restaurant car! The two principal East Coast royal saloons lasted even longer, into the 1970s.
But there was nothing to compare with the original condition of the GNR and ECJS carriages, in their splendid varnished teak panels and elaborate lining-out and coats-of-arms. What splendid models they would make!
Nowadays, it is possible to see former GNR carriages in preservation, such as Rick Edmondson's handsomely restored GNR saloon No. 807, or indeed the former royal saloons, Nos. 395 and 396; perhaps one day someone might find the money to return one of these to its original varnished teak finish. Legend at Doncaster Works has it that a mummified bird was found inside the log of cedar selected for the interior panelling of the smoke-room of the King's saloon.
The attempt has been made to include details of carriage workings and to identify from photographs a number of the carriages marshalled in trains during their heyday or later. Equally, there are many photographs reproduced of the carriages in their last days, or, more sadly, awaiting the call to the scrapyard. It gives some clue both to their staying power and the fact that World War II delayed the replacement of so many over-age carriages. While we as enthusiasts might have enjoyed riding in a carriage in which ghostly travellers might have read in newspapers of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the holiday traveller en route for 'Skeggie' in 1955 was less impressed. Contents include:
Polished Like A Baronial Dining Table
Perspectives to the Design of GNR and ECJS Carriages
Gresley GNR and ECJS Carriages - Construction, Liveries and Interiors
East Coast Joint Stock and Great Northern/North Eastern Joint Stock
GNR Vestibuled Stock including dining cars and articulated stock
GNR Non-Corridor and Suburban Stock including the steam railcars
The East Coast Royal Train
GNR and ECJS Passenger Brake Vans, TPO, Luggage and Milk Vans
List of GNR and ECJS Carriages Built 1905 - 23
The condition of the book is generally very good. The covers are clean and bright, the spine is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.
| Condition | New |