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British Railways Mk.I BG No. 81025

81025 on arrival at Sheffield Park, on 7 June 2023
(Martin Lawrence)

The BG ("Brake Gangwayed", also known as a full brake) has a guard's compartment in the centre and two large van areas either side for luggage, newspapers or parcels. A flexible type of coach, finding use across the entire British Railways network, a few are still in service today - although not many are still used as originally intended.

To give the BG near-universal access across the BR system, particularly for bay platforms used only for van services, it was shorter than most other types of BR Mk.I coach, the body being 58 ft long compared to the 64'6" of the standard gangway-fitted Mk.Is.

This carriage entered preservation in 1988, via the MNLPS (owners of Merchant Navy class locomotive 'Clan Line'), initially based in Hereford, then in 1989 moving to Southall. It was sold in 1995, and refitted by Lancastrian C&W for the Orient Express Northern Belle, then transferred to Railfilms and named 'Valiant' in 1997. In 2007 it was purchased by the NRM and used as a static catering outlet. It was later repainted in Pullman-style and renamed 'Countess of York'. End windows, added many years ago, help to make the interior lighter for service/support use.

Right: Tim Robbins' photo shows 84025 (as then numbered) at Carnforth in 1989, a year after entering preservation.

The Bluebell has now acquired No. 81025, which apparently remained in good condition. The plan was to gut it and build our own bespoke kitchen car for the Golden Arrow Pullman Train, with everything just as we want it, including storage as well as a staff welfare area. The LMS BGZ which currently serves in the Pullman set is simply too small and will soon need of a lot of work. 'Car 54' will act as brake for the set in place of the BGZ. The cost of the refit would be covered by the company from revenue over a period of 6-8 months. This new kitchen car is essential strategically, being necessary to protect the Bluebell's single most profitable product.

As seen in the photo on the left, once looked at more closely, it was decided instead to give the carriage a thorough structural overhaul, which will put the carriage into a fit state to run for the next 30-40 years. Here we see what is now its north end, with new rigger plate and new bottoms of collision pillars fitted (24 February 2024). The end windows, and those bodyside doors and windows that are no longer required have been removed and are being plated over.

Once in service, we will have a kitchen/support vehicle that perfectly matches our requirements, but it will also provide a back-up/replacement for the kitchen in 'Fingall', so we will not be exposed should that Car need to be taken out of traffic for maintenance. There is also the added advantage that should we ever want to run a bigger Golden Arrow train (we might add 'Car 36', for example), we can, as we have two kitchens on the train.

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Type: Full Brake (BG), Diagram 711
Built: 1956, Lot 30224, by Cravens, Sheffield
Original No: 81025
Other Nos: 84025, 99783 'Valiant', 'Countess of York'
Length: 56' 11" over headstocks, 58' over body, 60' 7" over buffers (extended)
Original Weight: 31 Tons
Preserved: 1988
To Bluebell: 7 June 2023
Owner: Bluebell Railway Trust

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