BR MK1 Crimson & Cream BSK

BR MK1 Crimson & Cream BSK

Type: CORRIDOR BRAKE SECOND (BSK)
Built 1951 - 1963
Seating: 24 (S & W regions 32), in 4 compartments
Length: 64.5 feet
Weight: 35 tons
Era: 1950s
BR Region : All

The Corridor Brake Second, presented here in original condition as No. 34230 allocated to the Eastern Region, mounted on BR1 bogies and fitted internally with tungsten lighting, wooden interior panelling and steam heating.

Designed for standard passenger use, originally designated BTK - Corridor Brake Third, becoming BSK - Corridor Brake Second on the abolition of Third class fares and accommodation in June 1956.

The passenger seating is arranged into four compartments, each with its own window, seating three abreast. Each compartment accessed by a 2 foot wide corridor (hence the term 'corridor' coach) running down one side of the coach.
The 'Brake' equipment being housed in the Guard's compartment adjacent to the middle public access doors, with provisions made for the carriage of parcel goods (up to a maximum weight of two and half tons evenly distributed) taking up the remainder of the coach space.

Foldaway armrests were provided in each passenger compartment, and on crowded trains these could be lifted back into the seat thus providing an additional two seats per compartment. The Southern and Western region Second/Third class compartments were fitted with no armrests, thus seating eight people to a compartment. In time, as coaches moved around the network, the nature of six and eight seated compartments presented problems to operational managers regarding seat reservation. To the extent that many armrests were removed or sewn into the upright positions.

The Guard's compartment, houses a vacuum brake and gauge, hand brake, desk table with swivel chair, wall mounted letter rack, food warmer, first aid box, emergency cutting tools and spare couplings and steam pipes. A wire mesh screen divides the goods carrying area from the passenger corridor, with the added security of bars fitted to all windows on the non corridor side.


USE

This type of coach would be found on mainline express passenger services on all regions of British Railways during 1950s. Normally found at the front or at the rear (sometimes both) of the train, normally with the Brake end coupled to the locomotive.


LIVERY

Crimson and Cream, nicknamed 'blood and custard', was a bright departure from the grime and dirt of post war Britain. First applied in 1949, this livery was standard to all regions of British Railways until 1956, eventually to be replaced by Maroon or Southern Green as standard. During this transition period during the late 1950s, it was not uncommon to see rakes formed with Maroon and Crimson and Cream coaches.


THE MARK 1 PROGRAMME

After the Second World War, wartime conditions highlighted the need for better standards in regards to vehicle lengths, profiles and couplings, for stock working between the 'Big Four' companies. A commission of senior officers was duly appointed by the UK 'Railway Companies Association' to create and implement a set of dimensions that would be applied to all future stock from each company. Although completed, the standards were not implemented, as nationalisation was imminent.

On nationalisation in 1948, the commission's findings were used by the new 'British Railways Carriage Standards Committee' as the basis to developed the 'C1 Restriction' profile - a set of standards governing coach length, profile and bogie centres. Thus from this the classic Mark 1 design was born, the prototypes unveiled on 18th September 1950, production coaches entering revenue service in March 1951. The Mk1 became the standard design for all new coaches between 1951 and 1964. Built using standard components - frame, coach ends and bogies - the body sides constructed from panelled sections with standard door and window fittings.

Author: Stephen Dark/Alexander Barnard

BR MK1 Crimson & Cream BSK
• config.txt 5.76KB
mk1_crim_bsk_art
mk1_crim_bsk_art_512.texture.txt 89 bytes
mk1_crim_bsk_art_512.tga 1.00MB
mk1_crim_bsk_art_icon.texture.txt 93 bytes
mk1_crim_bsk_art_icon.tga 32.02KB
mk1_crim_bsk_body
env.texture.txt 26 bytes
env.tga 48.53KB
mk1_crim_bsk.texture.txt 35 bytes
mk1_crim_bsk.tga 1.50MB
mk1_crim_bsk_body.pm 429.24KB
mk1_crim_bsk_shadow
black.texture.txt 28 bytes
black.tga 812 bytes
mk1_crim_bsk_shadow.pm 72.61KB