No 536 - Collett Third

A large number of main-line corridor third coaches were built to diagram C77 from 1938.  These had eight compartments and four external doors on the corridor side and two on the other.  They were in every sense the standard main-line coaches of their day.

536 was built in 1940. It was preserved by the Great Western Society in 1969, and was part of the Vintage train until the costs of registering such a set of coaches for main line running became prohibitive in 1980.

As it owns identical coach 1111, the Society released 536 to the South Devon Railway between 2002 and 2016, for regular use in their Great Western Train. As part of the deal, the SDR restored 536 in 2003, prior to entry into traffic. This included complete reupholstering of all seating using authentic Great Western moquette.

536 is an utterly typical GWR coach, being identical to hundreds of similar steel-panelled side-corridor coaches built by the Great Western Railway over a period of many years - therein lies its importance and its charm.

Status

Operational

Build date

1940

Built at

Swindon

Original railway

GWR

Lot Number

1623

Diag No

C.77

Length

60’ 11”

Date Preserved

1969

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