The LNERCA has made every effort to have a six coach teak-liveried set available to run at the Annual Steam Gala.

The Carriages

Gresley TTO 23956

Come and ride in this recently overhauled 1936 TTO, owned by the National Railway Museum but in the care of the LNERCA. It is arguably our most mysterious carriage for we can prove it doesn’t exist – yet it does. We can prove it was broken up – yet it wasn’t. We can prove BR didn’t even know of its existence for nearly 20 years. Finally, it spent 18 years of its life shrouded in secrecy and hidden away from prying eyes. 23956 was one of the secret mobile control coaches, stored latterly at Carstairs depot before being claimed, totally unrestored, by the NRM. Still in faded red departmental livery, it was placed in the custodianship of the LNERCA for restoration in varnished teak. It is restored with the later ‘high-backed’ style LNER seats.

Gresley TTO 56856

This carriages dates from 1938 and ran in revenue-earning service until 1964. Reprieved from being sent for scrap, it became a special Departmental carriage, numbered TDE 321108, and was used by the Eastern Region Medical Officer to conduct examinations. It toured the Eastern Region, often being parked in station bay platforms. In 1979, it was finally withdrawn and sold to a preservationist who moved it to Steamtown, Carnforth. It was from there a group of LNERCA volunteers acquired it. Some work was undertaken at Starbeck, Harrogate, prior to moving the carriage to Pickering. The crowning glory is the installation of the famed LNER ‘bucket’ seats, with the exact moquette with which this carriage carried in the 1930s.

Thompson TK E1623 E

One of several unique carriages in the LNERCA collection, Corridor Third 1623 is really special – it is the sole-surviving Third Class compartment carriages out of 488 built under the Edward Thompson regime, entering service in 1950. It cost £5,609. When new, it carried carmine & cream livery. After withdrawal in October 1967, its fate was enhanced when it was collared by the Eastern Region Civil Engineer as a Staff coach for P-Way personnel and renumbered DE 321133, based at York Yard.  Finally withdrawn in December 1982, preservation beckoned and it was slowly totally rebuilt, entering service in 2016. It carries scumbled teak livery to match the Gresleys with which it runs.

Gresley RB 641

When you are having your tea or coffee in this timepiece carriage, you are sitting on a genuine chrome tubular chair as originally was found in this 1937-built RB from York Works. This type of carriage was the last LNER passenger-carrying vehicles to remain in service in the BR eras, this one lasting until July 1973. Bought by the Dart Valley Railway, it was later transferred to the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway. Some minor restoration was undertaken, the teak laminate on plywood for the panels not being ideal. Bought by two LNERCA members in in September 1983, it was not in good condition. A total rebuild followed, putting the by then renumbered 9129 back into original 641, with all post build body modifications reversed – 641 is now original!

Gresley BTO 43567

Brake Third Open (BTO) 43567 dates from 1935, a product of York Works. Its post-war number was 16547 which it retained until withdrawal in the early 1960s. Then a strange turn of fate – it ended up sold to the Tees & Hartlepool Dock Authority, moving to Tees Dock where, on an isolated piece of track, it was used as a classroom to train the Port Authority’s diesel drivers. Declared surplus in 1974, it was donated to a group of NYMR volunteers called the BSO Group. They in turn donated it to the LNER Coach Association, arriving in July 1976. This carriage and the NRM’s TTO 23956 were the recipients of a successful National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant, thus enabling its rebuild and restoration back to original condition and number 43567.

Gresley BTK 3669

From derelict run-down Riding Van to beautifully restored pristine exhibit in the National Railway Museum as part of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ Centenary Exhibition, this has been the journey of this magnificent carriage. During its 92 years life, which began courtesy of the Birmingham RC&W Co. in 1930, it saw 53 years of passenger use. From 1963, it had become a red Departmental Riding Van with the Healey Mills breakdown train - this lasted until July 1980 when offered for sale derelict. It went initially to the Yorkshire Dales Railway, but in 2002 moved to a farm at Lowthorpe, Bridlington, where a colossal restoration began. Some £80,000 later and 16,000 man-hours, it was finished in May 2015. The NRM requested it in 2016 as a guest exhibit – a just recognition of the incredible restoration standard which had been set. It is visiting the NYMR from Kirkby Stephen.

The LNERCA Fundraising Team will be onboard Gresley RB 641 Fri-Sun during the Annual Steam Gala, serving snacks and drinks.