London & North Eastern Railway - LNER The Coronation train - "beavertail" observation car Nr. 1719
The Coronation was LNER's streamlined express passenger train between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. Named to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, it was inaugurated on 5 July 1937. The train's streamlined design was based on that of The Silver Jubilee, but instead of being painted silver it was given a two-tone blue livery. Internally it was decorated in the Art Deco style
In 1937, LNER built two observation coaches at Doncaster Works for use on The Coronation express passenger train during the summer months. Looking quite different to the teak coaches, they in many respects resembled the LNER Class A4 locomotives that hauled the train. The carriages had a conventional corridor connection at one end and a deeply glazed tapered end at the other. Both were fitted out with and a luxury bar/lounge combination
During the Second World War both were put in storage and, in 1959, E1719E was rebuilt by British Railways with larger panoramic windows for West Highland Line specials. The other coach, numbered E1729E, went into a long period of storage at Steamtown, Carnforth. Both coaches survive today in the hands of Railway Vehicle Preservations Ltd on the preserved Great Central Railway, Loughborough, where they allow first class ticket holders to travel in restored E1719E
The observation cars had a distinctive "beaver tail" shape. They ran in this form until the Second World War when the train's coaches were put in store. In 1948, various vehicles returned to service as general passenger stock, but they never ran as a full set again - the observation cars were transferred to the West Highland line in 1956. Their original observation end was found to give limited views, so British Railways rebuilt them with a more angled end and added larger windows, running in this form from 1959 to 1968
London & North Eastern Railway - LNER The Coronation train - "beavertail" observation car Nr. 1719
The Coronation was LNER's streamlined express passenger train between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. Named to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, it was inaugurated on 5 July 1937. The train's streamlined design was based on that of The Silver Jubilee, but instead of being painted silver it was given a two-tone blue livery. Internally it was decorated in the Art Deco style
In 1937, LNER built two observation coaches at Doncaster Works for use on The Coronation express passenger train during the summer months. Looking quite different to the teak coaches, they in many respects resembled the LNER Class A4 locomotives that hauled the train. The carriages had a conventional corridor connection at one end and a deeply glazed tapered end at the other. Both were fitted out with and a luxury bar/lounge combination
During the Second World War both were put in storage and, in 1959, E1719E was rebuilt by British Railways with larger panoramic windows for West Highland Line specials. The other coach, numbered E1729E, went into a long period of storage at Steamtown, Carnforth. Both coaches survive today in the hands of Railway Vehicle Preservations Ltd on the preserved Great Central Railway, Loughborough, where they allow first class ticket holders to travel in restored E1719E
The observation cars had a distinctive "beaver tail" shape. They ran in this form until the Second World War when the train's coaches were put in store. In 1948, various vehicles returned to service as general passenger stock, but they never ran as a full set again - the observation cars were transferred to the West Highland line in 1956. Their original observation end was found to give limited views, so British Railways rebuilt them with a more angled end and added larger windows, running in this form from 1959 to 1968