BR MK1 Crimson & Cream CK

BR MK1 Crimson & Cream CK

Type: COMPOSITE CORRIDOR (CK)
Built: 1951 - 1963
Seating: 24F 18S (S & W regions: 24F 24S),
in 7 compartments.
Length: 64.5 feet
Weight: 34 tons
Era: 1950s
BR Region: ALL

The Composte Corridor, presented here in original condition as No. 15053 allocated to the Eastern Region, is mounted on BR1 bogies, fitted internally with tungsten lighting, wooden interior panelling and steam heating. Two toilets are provided, one at each end of the coach.

The passenger seating is arranged into seven compartments, each with its own window, with access to each compartment from a two foot wide corridor positioned down one side of the coach - hence the term 'corridor' coach. Designed originally for combined First and Third Class travel (hence the term 'composite'), the three Third class compartments were re-designated to Second with the abolition of third class fares and accommodation in June 1956.

The First Class compartments, complete with fitted carpets and curtains, seat six - three abreast, while Third class compartments were fitted with retractable armrests with the option to increase capacity to seat four abreast. 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 in Second/Third class compartments.

An interesting feature built into this coach is the placing of a door on the corridor side opposite the middle Third class compartment. This is to enable a loaded stretcher to gain access into the coach. The middle Third class compartment window is hinged so as to allow a stretcher to be used should the coach be marshalled with the compartment side adjacent to the platform.


USE

This type of coach would be found on mainline express passenger services on all regions of British Railways during the 1950s.


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 CK
• config.txt 5.54KB
mk1_crim_ck_art
mk1_crim_ck_art_512.texture.txt 89 bytes
mk1_crim_ck_art_512.tga 1.00MB
mk1_crim_ck_art_icon.texture.txt 91 bytes
mk1_crim_ck_art_icon.tga 32.02KB
mk1_crim_ck_body
env.texture.txt 26 bytes
env.tga 48.53KB
mk1_crim_ck.texture.txt 34 bytes
mk1_crim_ck.tga 1.50MB
mk1_crim_ck_body.pm 465.28KB
mk1_crim_ck_shadow
black.texture.txt 28 bytes
black.tga 812 bytes
mk1_crim_ck_shadow.pm 72.61KB