Oldest coaching stock

[colpepper]

What's the oldest stock in use on the network, departmental or revenue earning? This isn't a trick question BTW, I'd like to know the answer! Preserved stock excepted.

 

[matt]

http://www.queenofscots.co.uk/

A private charter train. Not sure if it counts as preserved but some of the coaches are 100 years old. http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/March2009/IMG_1777.JPG.html

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Are the oldest everyday passenger stuff the 313s on the FCC GN, or something similar?

 

[colpepper]

I was actually thinking specials apart, though that could form its own sub-category. There must be dozens of Mk 1s still running and privately owned but is there anything from the 70s still in regular service?

 

[12CSVT]

http://www.queenofscots.co.uk/

A private charter train. Not sure if it counts as preserved but some of the coaches are 100 years old. http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/March2009/IMG_1777.JPG.html

While some of the 'Queen of Scots' coach bodies are over 100 years old, I think I read somewhere that they are on Mk1 chassis ?

 

[Bighat]

Well, there is always the A stock on the UndergrounD, they are in daily pasenger service and date from 1960, departmental LU operate at least TWO trains of 1938ts (based at Ruislip) as well as the set kept by the London Transport Museum, and of course there is the 1938ts (class 483) in regular service on the Isle of Wight.

Sarah Siddons electric loco on LU dates from 1907 (with a major rebuild in 1922/3), but that IS preserved!

On NR, the class 20 soldiers on, just. The first 20 of these (D8000 to D8019) were ordered in 1956 and originally entered service at Devons Road Bow (2A), now a DLR station! By 1962 128 were in service!

 

[ainsworth74]

In everyday revenue earning service it's got to be the Underground stock on the Island Line. Or on the mainline the Mk2s for the WAG express and Sleepers.

 

[Hydro]

I was actually thinking specials apart, though that could form its own sub-category. There must be dozens of Mk 1s still running and privately owned but is there anything from the 70s still in regular service?

NR departmental stock is pretty much all 1970's or earlier, the UTU coaches are converted 4REP motor coaches, the Track Inspection Coach is a converted managers inspection saloon that must be about a billion years old now (I think short frame Mark 1). Even the NMT has prototype Mark 3's in the rake from the early 1970's. Original Mark 2A's are used as staff and barrier vehicles.

 

[Royston Vasey]

As far as coaches in the true sense of the word are concerned, Mark 2Fs are still working as the WAG express Holyhead - Cardiffs and on the Scotrail sleepers and Fife Circle services, built 1973-5. Possibly also some Mk 2Es on the Fife Circle, built 1972-4.

As it happens contenders as the oldest coaches still in everyday passenger use are a handful of Mark 3s along with the few Mark 2Es. They are the prototype mark 3s built in 1972 for the prototype HST, of which a handful are operational, now indistinguishable from the production models.

Images can be found here http://www.rollingstock.fotopic.net/p42930966.html

and here http://www.rollingstock.fotopic.net/p48515284.html

Image credit is to "Nathan W"s fotopic.

 

[Oracle]

What about the DMMUs used by Chiltern? The Hastings DEMU vehicles (the originals, not the additional car)?

 

[colpepper]

Fascinating stuff chaps, I wondered whether any Mk 2s were still running as a possible contender. Does anyone know when the last Mk 1 left normal service?

 

[bangor-toad]

Class 442's.


Well at least bits of them... These were originally 4-REPs which in turn were originally loco hauled Mk1 stock from the late 50's.

Cheers!
Jason

 

[starrymarkb]

Fascinating stuff chaps, I wondered whether any Mk 2s were still running as a possible contender. Does anyone know when the last Mk 1 left normal service?

2004-2005 IIRC - Was a South Eastern EMU of some kind (can't remember the exact flavour).

 

[rail-britain]

In time order,
Royal saloon 1920

The Mark 2 (air con) coaches are from 1971

Class 313 EMU is from 1976
The early batch of HST Mark 3 coaches are from 1976

The Mark 3 sleepers are from 1985

 

[matt]

In time order,
Royal saloon 1920

That is preserved though. The current Royal Trains dates to 1977.

 

[driver9000]

I would go for the 1938 former tube stock on the Isle of Wight for being the oldest rolling stock in use today.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I would go for the 1938 former tube stock on the Isle of Wight for being the oldest rolling stock in use today.

Nah surely not - in the South East . Yes has to be true the class 483s are in REGULAR service on the Isle of Wight and were built 1938 (or a within a few years after ?).

 

[StoneRoad]

for the narrow guage lines:

I believe that the Festiniog takes the lead here.

Coaches 15 and 16 are the oldest Iron framed bogie coaches, built 1872......

and some of the four-wheelers date to 1863/4


ref: http://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/FR_Carriages

 

[GM078]

http://www.queenofscots.co.uk/

A private charter train. Not sure if it counts as preserved but some of the coaches are 100 years old. http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/March2009/IMG_1777.JPG.html

I'm not as well up on UK stock so excuse my ignorance but the last few carriages in that train look like they're wooden-bodied. Is this the case? Or have they been modified. I didn't realise such stock was still permitted on the mainlines of the UK, are they actually carrying passengers? In Ireland it's still permitted on some lines but didn't know it still happened in Britain.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

In second place behind those Ffestinog vehicles, I'd point out that the two locomotives on the Hythe Pier Railway were built in 1917, though I think the passenger carriages were built a few years later ( 1922? ) when the railway was electrified ( the locomotives having been purchased secondhand ).

 

[Wolfie]

The 1938 Tube stock on the Isle of Wight?

 

[tiesto-uk]

The 4TC that is hauled by Sarah Siddons.