Brake gangwayed
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British Rail brake gangwayed | |
---|---|
British Railways Mark 1 | |
Constructed | 1951–1963 |
Number built | 1129 |
Fleet numbers | 80500–81628 |
Capacity | 10 tonnes |
Operators | British Rail |
Specifications | |
Car length | 57 ft 0 in (17.37 m) |
Width | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
Height | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
Maximum speed | BR1: 90 mph (145 km/h); B4: 100 mph (161 km/h), later some 110 mph (177 km/h) |
Weight | 31–32 tonnes |
Bogies | BR1, some later B4 |
Braking system(s) | Vacuum, air, or both |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The brake gangwayed or BG coach (also known as a full brake) is a type of
The British Railways Mark 1 BG was shorter than most other types of Mark 1 coach – the BGs being 57 feet (17.37 m) whereas most other designs were 63 feet (19.20 m). This was so the BG could go everywhere unlike their other Mark 1 counterparts which were banned from some station platforms because of their length.
Around 101 of these vehicles are still in existence, though, as mentioned above, most of these aren't in conventional use. Many vehicles, particularly those on preserved railways, are used for storing spare parts for various preservation societies. Simultaneously, several BGs on have been converted for entirely different uses, due to the large space either side of the guard's compartment and the relative 'ease' of conversion. Three vehicles have been converted into disabled coaches, with one, 80776, on the Severn Valley Railway (which won the 1996 ARPS Coach Competition), a second, 80509, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and a third, 80736, on the West Somerset Railway.
A second vehicle at the WSR, 80972, had been used as an engineering stores vehicle until 16 March 2018, when it was transferred to the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust (SDRT) at Washford station where it will be converted to a museum exhibition vehicle. A second vehicle at the Severn Valley, 81013, has been converted for use as
Elsewhere, four vehicles, 80654 at the
Additionally, vehicle number 81432, previously based at Crewe, is to be converted into a bar/kitchen car by the Spa Valley Railway sometime during 2018.
References
- Fox, Peter (1983). Coaching Stock Pocket Book. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publications. pp. 50–57. ISBN 0-906579-29-5.