S3919 is a BR Mk 1 Tourist Second Open (TSO) coach which was assembled at Eastleigh Works.
The order lot which included S3919 was issued in April 1953, with order completion noted in January 1955 with M3969.
British Railways Southern Region rebogied S3919 with Commonwealth bogies (to improve the coach ride characteristics over the BR1 bogies fitted when new) and also fitted air brakes.
The coach was authorised to become a Class 90 Driver Training Train Coach numbered as TDB977624 in January 1989 but the conversion was cancelled by the end of February 1989. It is unknown if the coach carried its Traffic Department departmental number as it entered preservation carrying 3919.
Purchased from Etches Park, Derby after withdrawal in August 1989, S3919 passed into preservation during 1990.
S3919 is owned by Northampton and Lamport Railway Charitable Incorporated Organisation (NLRCIO) after being purchased from a private owner in 2012.
Whilst it was known that the coach was from the ‘Southern Region’ of BR, the discovery of green paint and underlying Primrose during overhaul work indicates the livery history of the coach is a follows:
- Crimson & Cream, also known as Blood & Custard livery when built, with Gold/Yellow & Black lining.
- Light green, (malachite green?) painted sometime after April 1956.
- Darker green, a dark malachite/coaching stock green painted sometime after April 1956.
- British Railways post 1956 Maroon (not confirmed, but theoretically possible).
- BR Blue & Grey post 1964 Corporate livery.
- Preserved & Current livery: a version of BR Maroon.
- Crimson & Cream, also known as Blood & Custard livery Yellow & Black lining after overhaul by NLRCIO.
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- A close up of BR Mk1 TSO Coach S3919 gutter showing that the vehicle had been painted green then blue and finally its preserved livery of BR maroon or a variation of it. Photo: D.Millard
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- A close up of one of the window bars of BR Mk 1 TSO Coach S3919. This view shoes that the coach was painted in Crimson & Cream prior to being repainted into BR Southern Region green. Photo: D.Millard
Interestingly the numerically adjacent coach, S3918 can be found preserved at the Rushden Transport Museum, Rushden, Northamptonshire.
Donations and volunteers wanting to help restore, maintain and operate the coach are welcome.
Please see https://www.nlr.org.uk/volunteering-nlr/ for more details on becoming a Volunteer Working Member or https://www.nlr.org.uk/memberships/ if you would like to show your support by being a member of the railway.
S3919 arrived in 1990 and was deposited on two rails laid on their sides,
it has since been restored, fitted with vacuum brakes and repainted into BR maroon livery.
| Coach | BR | BR Mk1 TSO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built: | August 1954 | Works №: | S3919 | ||||||||
| Builder: | BR Eastleigh (bodywork & assembly) BR Ashford (underframe) |
Type: | BR Mk1 TSO | ||||||||
| Diagram №: | 93 (New AC204) | Weight: | 33 ton | ||||||||
| Length: | 64 ft 6 in over body | Lot №: | 30086 | ||||||||
| № of Seats: | 64 Second Class | Load Capacity: | N/A | ||||||||
| Made Redundant / Withdrawn: | N/A | Date Preserved: | 1990 | ||||||||
| Arrived at NLR: | 30th March 1990 | Current Status: | Under overhaul | ||||||||
