Carriage 116
| Carriage 116 | |
|---|---|
 Before 2008 rebuild | |
| Type | Corridor Third |
| Seating | 36 x 3rd |
| Home Railway | FR |
| Status | In service (WHR) |
| History | |
| Built by |
Edmund Crow, Cleator Moor Rebuilt by Boston Lodge |
| Built | 1972 |
| 1982 | Rebuilt |
| 2008 | rebuilt |
| Technical | |
| Length | 38 ft 2 in |
| Carriages | |
Carriage 116 is a metal bodied all third saloon.
Background[edit]
Carriage 116 is a prototype aluminium coach body, built by Edmund Crow of Cleator Moor with running gear built by the FR Co. The carriage was completed 100 years after carriages 15 and 16; it was given the number 116 to commemorate this (116 was chosen over 115 as only carriage 16 was available at the time).
It was the first FR passenger coach to be fitted with inward opening doors which have become standard on all new carriages. Originally this carriage was a composite with a first class compartment located at the Porthmadog end.
It was rebuilt 1982 with new doors and Beclawat windows.
2007/2008 Rebuild[edit]
At the end of the 2007 main season, 116 was withdrawn for a complete rebuild. The work included the replacement of the entire interior including the removal of the first class compartment. The windows were also repositioned to allow the adjustment of the seating arrangement to give more legroom for the passengers. An Eberspächer diesel-fired hot-air heater was also fitted as the FR took steps to eliminate gas fired heating from its carriages. The doors were painted with an inversion of the standard FR livery similar to that used on the WHR carriages and on Carriage 122, for ease of use by partially sighted passengers. The new refurbished interior can be regarded as a prototype for the interiors of the Super Barn Carriages. By June 2008 Carriage 116 was back in service as an "enhanced third". In 2011 116 was allocated to the WHR carriage sets and has remained ever since.
2013/14 refurbishment[edit]
After six years' intensive service 116 received attention over the winter of 2013-14. The interior was spruced up and the carriage lost its unique livery, reverting back to the standard "Mountain Prince" livery of maroon and cream (including the doors).
Future[edit]
116 has served on the WHR since 2011. However, it is due to be replaced in the coming years by Carriage 2048, a newbuild WHR carriage. After this, 116 will return to the FR. Its 2013/14 refurbishment means that it has gone far down the withdrawals list and should see service for a few more years yet.