The Quad Set back at the NNR
[Photo: Steve Allen]
The first two coaches of the historic four-coach articulated set, built in 1924 as a further development of two coach articulation developed by Nigel Gresley for the Great Northern services out of Moorgate and Kings Cross, arrived back on the Poppy Line on 8 October after a three-year restoration by the West Coast Railways Company at Carnforth.
The other two coaches of the set should be back by the end of February next year.
This is the only surviving set of quad-articulated coaches, which pioneered the system of articulation used on today’s Eurostar high-speed trains. The restoration has been made possible through a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
The pictures show the two coaches on the line, their seven coats of varnish making the teak sparkle in the sunshine. They were taken up the line to the new carriage shed at Holt.
The outer ends of the coaches are suspended for the time being on temporary wheels, until the full rake of coaches is made up.