TR "Third-Gen" coaching stock

Between 1885 and 1898, TR took delivery of its famed "Third-Gen" coaching stock to replace the aging "Second-Gen" coaching stock from express duties e.g. 'The Nerlishman' express between Thorndyke & Glasgow and the most produced TR coach. They were replaced by second-hand coaches in the 1950s and 1960s.

History
The origins of the "Third-Gen" traces its roots back to the early American coaching stock thanks to its design. By this time, the 4-wheeled and 6-wheeled versions of the famed "Second-Gen" coaching stock were in service across the isle on all passenger services (6-wheelers on express duties, 4-wheelers on suburban and branch line duties) and were now in need of replacement by TR. The design concept came when TR sent a group to investigate the design of coaching stock in the United States of America (USA) to try and modernize the express and suburban fleet. They found out that the Americans were now using bogies on their new coaching stock (known as "passenger cars" in the US) to carry more people and to have a longer body design incorporating a conservatory roof.

From 1885 to 1940, they became the backbone of the TR express passenger fleet with 203 vehicles built but only 197 vehicles passed into the 1900s as six were destroyed in an incident on the Caledonian Railway (CR) mainline. As the mainland modernised its coach fleet, the "Third-Gens" began to show their age as many needed new bogies and better frames. By 1936, TR's management published a report to modernise their coach fleet with the prospect that by 1950, only a quarter of "Third-Gen" and six "Second-Gen" six wheel coaches would be still be in service with all "Second-Gen" four wheel coaches decommissioned from all duties and included the replacements for the "Third-Gen", which would be built from a design used by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). Fortunately, World War Two began and the program was shelved by the War Department as every coach every railway had was needed, no matter how old they were.

The first official replacements of the TR "Third-Gen" arrived in the late-1950s as many pre-Grouping and pre-Nationalisation coaches were being withdrawn by British Railways (BR) after being replaced by the 1951-introducted Mk 1 coaches. Due to many of the second-hand coaches having more modern features than TR's own "Third-Gen" coaches, this lead to the beginning of their withdrawal, with some attempts to keep them operational. Five were given BR Mk 2A bodies and B4 bogies to extend their life after their original bodies were destroyed by fire, starting with restaurant car No. 1881 following the loss of its original body by fire on a diner train in 1967.

Basis
The TR "Third-Gen" coaching stock are based off the designs of the LNER Gresley 60ft "Standard" coaches from 1923 and a typical American coach seen in many wild-west movies. They served until the 1950s and 1970s respectively when they were replaced by more modern coaches as one of the Gresley coaches' case, the BR Mk2s.

In rebodied form, the TR "Third-Gen" stock resemble British Railways (BR) Mk2A coaches. These coaches are still in regular service along with aircon variants such as the Mk2F.

Filming models
The filming models were built from Hornby Railroad (OO gauge) Gresley 60ft coach chassis with Gresley bogies and custom bodies built from brass and balsa wood. The same story applies for re-bodied examples by having B4-type bogies and 3D-printed BR Mk 2A-style bodies.

Trivia
The name "Third-Gen" comes from the fact that they are the third generation of coaches built to TR's specifications and designs.

Five of these were later given BR Mk 2A coach bodies after their original ones were destroyed by fire/ arson. These are No: 1987, 1963, 1985, 1881 and 1888. No: 1881 is the only one of these preserved by the Nerland Preservation Society (NPS) since the other four were sold for scrap.

Before the first episode set in 1904, Shane Sowter claims that in 1899, six "Third-Gens" were written off and scrapped (No: 1899, 1964, 1923, 1865, 1864 and 1986) because they were wrecked in a collision by a single CR locomotive.

Carriage 1963 ("The haunted carriage/ the cursed carriage") is a member of this carriage type.

Out of 203 built, only 30 have been preserved (all by the NPS).