COMPLETION SPECIAL: Mark 1 Brake Corridor Composite E21224

After a much protracted overhaul, with no clear start or end dates, E21224 now officially enters full service, following its return from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it was having its last major component fitted: the control emission toilet.

E21224 is a relative newcomer to the NNR's fleet, rather than an old favourite which has done countless journeys between Sheringham and Holt. Its role on the railway has been debated and changed throughout the overhaul, and even now we are unsure as to exactly how it will eventually settle within the fleet - more of which later. E21224 is an almost identical twin to E21103 (it is actually a slightly younger sister) and has an identical interior layout, the most varied of any Mark 1 on the railway. E21224 is an entire train in one coach: boasting first (2) and second (3) class compartments with an adjacent toilet (originally two but only one has been restored), guards compartment and luggage/parcel space. It follows the well known standard Mark 1 design, our front line carriage design on the NNR which are expected to run up to 60 mile diagrams on a daily basis for most of the year. Almost every visitor to the NNR will have traveled in a coach of this type.

Our previous champion, Tourist Second Open E4641, which is regarded as the most thoroughly overhauled Mark 1 in the railway's history, now has a companion in which to hold the title of "best coach" jointly. Both E4641 & E21224 were overhauled during a "golden age" (around 2015-2020) of possible investment which sadly has been tempered, at least temporarily, by Covid-19.

It has already been mentioned that E21224 is an addition rather than an overhaul of an existing worn out member of the fleet. For many years the NNR ran two sets of corridor Mark 1 stock on the majority of its day-to-day services, known as A set and B set. The railway also had two corridor brakes of similar design (E21103 & W35148) and a third brake was available in the form of Suburban E43357. Now, back in earlier days when the NNR was mixing its suburban vehicles in with its corridor Mark 1's, availability was not a problem as E43357 could easily step in whenever either of the two corridor brakes had an issue or required works. However, as time went on an important change altered the equilibrium. This change was that the suburbans slowly became more dilapidated in condition and were gradually removed from the main running sets. They were later fully restored but subsequently ran separately as their own dedicated set, making brake E43357 less usable for the two main corridor sets. General growth of the railway meant there became plenty of special event work in any case that would require three sets in operation rather than the previous two. Still with us? To allow for overhauls, repaints and maintenance work, is is optimum to have four Mark 1 brake coaches available if there is a requirement for three to be in service. This was the rationale behind E21224's acquisition.

As long ago as 2011, E21224 had been withdrawn from mainline charter train work and was lying at Southall depot (near London). As it fitted our criteria, after a viewing, a deal was undertaken resulting in it coming to the NNR in 2012. It was thought that after localised steel repairs and a repaint, it would be suitable for use on the NNR. However due to commitments overhauling the dining train and suburban coaches, it would be another six years before E21224 reached the front of the queue. It spent the majority of this time inside the sheds at Bridge Road, invisible to casual followers and visitors to the railway.

In March 2017 a gap in the overhaul schedule allowed E21224 to enter the works. The original assessment of the coach (which had to be done cosmetically i.e. no stripping or disturbance of components) was sadly surpassed by the corrosion found beneath. In some cases rather shockingly for a coach which had been mainline registered and passed to run at high speeds, major structural issues were found with the end framework and the flooring in particular. The overhaul was quickly upgraded from a Bronze to a Silver. The interior was stripped out and was found to be of poor quality, with much original hardwood replaced by cheap softwood, stained and varnished, much of which didn't survive removal. At the same time, it was decided to put the coach "back on the mainline" to replace the quickly failing dining train Kitchen Car. Regulations for mainline running in the intervening years had increased, so a second review concluded that for E21224 to fulfill its potential, only a Gold overhaul would do. What followed was a long and full restoration (which doesn't need repeating here in detail as this Blog has covered it from start to finish) over a four year period. The coach could have been completed much sooner, however the heavier overhauls always have to be paused to deal with more pressing and immediate threats to the fleet, plus there was a year lost to Covid, so readers can appreciate that E21224's overhaul, whilst four years in total duration, was probably closer to two years "full time" work.

Before looking at E21224's service life on the mainline, we hinted earlier about the coach's change of purpose. When obtained in 2011, it was to be restored in BR maroon as a "standard service brake" identical to E21103 & W35148, to be swapped with the latter two equally. During the overhaul, the NNR started running dining trains to Cromer, so it was agreed that E21224 would be mainline registered to be the brake on the dining set on Cromer days. The Dual brake feature of E21224 could also be useful here in the future, if vacuum brakes are ever banned on the mainline. Later, this role was reinforced with the maroon livery being switched to Crimson & Cream, so that E21224 could be truly dual purpose (similar to E4641) and run in both service sets and on the dining train as required. This decision was made after the future of the Kitchen Car (M81033) started to be considered due to the latter's poor condition, suggesting that E21224 might have to spend more time in the dining set than originally envisaged. So, it can be seen that the coach could be used for several purposes, at various times and with various importance depending on the (un)availability of other members of the fleet. We are all therefore now interested to see how E21224 is to be used moving forwards, it will doubtlessly ease several situations that could have been a real problem had E21224 not been restored.

E21224 was of course designed for much longer distance travel. Its first owner was, of course, British Railways, who from 1951 embarked on an enormous production run of Mark 1 vehicles which would last for over 20 years. E21224, as already mentioned, was of the BCK type, the first of which E21000 was introduced in 1954. E21224 was the 225th of the 276 eventually produced, delivered in May 1959 in lined Maroon livery. It is believed the coach was built on the then standard "BR1" 90mph bogie and had steam heating and vacuum braking. It was to lead an anonymous life working within both long and short distance trains both within the Eastern region and beyond, such was the versatility of the Mark 1 fleet in general. It would work on the Eastern its entire commercial life, and was once of the many coaches that was apportioned to the short lived "North Eastern" sector between 1965-1968.

We do not hold detailed records for E21224's movements and modifications during its working life, however it is known that the original 90mph bogies were exchanged for the lightweight higher speed "B4" design which included better riding qualities and lower maintenance components allowing E21224 to work at 100mph, in common with 32 other BCK's. As the diesel and electric era took hold, air braking was added to the vacuum to increase versatility, although as time went on the vacuum system would be used less and less. Meanwhile the steam heating was removed and replaced with electric, it not being felt necessary to keep the old system. In the latter 1960's the maroon livery was changed to the new standard Blue & Grey.

In common with many Mark 1's, the introduction of Mark 3 coaches in the 1970's and several stock cascades led to E21224's withdrawal from passenger service in November 1983. It was however reclassified as a departmental vehicle, numbered KDB977580 in September 1988 for use as a Signal & Telegraph staff and tool van. Renumbering was a notoriously loose affair in those times, so it is not known if the coach was stored between 83 and 88 or whether it was being used by S&T under its old number. Officially it was withdrawn again in September 1992, this time for real, and was dispatched to Gwent Demolition for disposal.

1994

KDB977580's potential (dual brakes and B4 bogies) must have been seen as the following year it was purchased for preservation and moved to Crewe for further storage. It would be 1996 before restoration started, which was contracted out to the ill fated "Lancastrian Carriage & Wagon", who returned to coach to mainline status, with 21224 number reinstated (minus regional prefix). Records show that the mechanical overhaul to achieve this was undertaken in 1997. It was repainted in a brighter blue & cream under the brand "Regency Rail", exclusively intended for charter work under the VSOE empire. Confusingly photographs show 21224 running in October 1997 although records show the vehicle as returning to the mainline in April 2000.

1997

Despite the investment, it appears 21224's second mainline career proved limited, with relatively few photographs showing the vehicle operating in charter trains. Records suggest it was removed from use in 2004 although we are unsure as to the reliability of that date. Eventually the coach was converted into a support coach, reportedly intended to operate with steam locomotive 70000 "Britannia", and painted in chocolate & cream livery.

2001

This plan appears to have failed although 21224 did work some trains in its new colours. It latterly spent periods stored at Meldon Quarry (Devon) and Tyseley depot before settling at Southall in 2009. Of course in 2011, the story became an NNR one.

2011

Needless to say we are all very pleased with the end results. After 15 years out of the spotlight hopefully E21224 will now be settled again and enjoyed by passengers regularly into the future.

London North Eastern Railway 1950 Brake Corridor Third E1866 (GOLD)

No progress to report.

British Railways 1956 Brake Corridor Composite E21103 (SILVER)

A very boring week, the only work being a continuation of that already started. The corridor connection woodwork continues to be fitted on the Holt end and the first two doors and door jambs continue to be fitted to the landward side.

British Railways 1955 Mark 1 Suburban Brake Third E43357

The fifth of the conveyor belt coaches has now been pretty much completed in time for Christmas, meaning the conveyor belt schedule is running on time. The crimson paint was rubbed down, washed and given a varnish coat this week, after the final removed door was refitted.

The opportunity has been taken to replace the 1970's era signage on the vehicle's end with the correct 1950's version, an error which has taken until now to rectify. The wording and position has been taken from research and photographs of similar vehicles which were stablemates of E43357 during its Kings Cross working days.

Finishing touches included the usual unmasking of handles etc and painting of bolt heads on the grab handles. We also managed to undertake a few improvements to the guards interior which had been left messy by the emergency equipment. We have fixed some spring clips to the wall so that the fire beaters now have a proper home, and the wheelchair ramp is now also fixed to the wall properly.

We also noticed guards had arranged for loose chairs to be placed in the vehicle. We assumed this was to provide comfort for ticket inspectors, friends joining them for the journey, or passengers accompanying wheelchair bound passengers, but the chairs didn't look very "railway". We have therefore compromised and fitted a BR DMU seat in their place, which has the double advantage of being both a BR item and also more padded than the wooden chairs that it replaces!

British Railways 1961 English Electric Type 3 D6732

Heritage Painting had another good week with further repairs and preparation to the Sheringham end nose and final gloss on the Holt end one. At the same end the half yellow panel is also being applied and is one coat of yellow short of completion.

The numbers have now also been added.

Workshop

The upholstering of seating destined for TSO M4958 continues in the vibrant "boomerang" moquette, with a dozen seat backs and bases now in evidence. The coach itself is likely to be withdrawn in January to allow the rest of the seating to be removed for re-upholstery.