Help get' The Flying Scotsman' Gresley teak coach running again at Bo'ness
THE Scottish Railway Preservation Society( SRPSh) as launched a £ 7500 appeal t o finish the restoration of its Gresley Third Corridor coach No. 1 0021 to traffic so it will complete a four- coacht eak set to run behind LNER D49 4- 4- 0 No. 246 Morayshire.
Acquired in 1971, but yetto run under SRPS ownership, restoration work on the 1924- built eight-compartment coach started in 2012. A body lift was undertaken to allow major repairs to be completed to rectify corrosion in the underframe gussets and replace perished body mounting pads.
Repairs to the carriage frame have been completed and the coach is currently being reclad with new teak panelling. The society has also taken delivery of new toughened safety glass to replace all of the external windows.
Work also continues on the internal refit: refurbished radiators and the associated steam heat plumbing, and reupholstered seats are now ready to be reinstalled.
The society needs the money to buy new bellows ( the heavy- duty rubber for the gangways), have the floor screed in linoleum and then purchase and lay new carpets. It also needs to lift the coach off its bogies for inspection and repair.
Finally, there will be the considerable task of signwriting the vehicle and applying countless coats of varnish to protect the valuable teak. Restoration work has revealed the inscription ' J Set 4; confirming that the vehicle was part of 'The Flying Scotsman' set of 1924.
It is hoped to have No. 10021 in service for the 2022 season.
➔ If you would like to donate to the appeal, send a cheque made payable to 'SRPS' to: S RPS Gresley Coach Appeal, c/ o Alastair George, 4 Baberton Mains Avenue, Edinburgh, E H143 EQ'; or through the society's Virgin Money Giving page at uk. virginmoneygiving. com which has been launched to compensate for loss of revenue during the Covid- 19 lockdown.