The North Norfolk Railway’s Carriage and Wagon team has started an intensive programme of coach repainting and revarnishing to help make up some of the ground lost as a result of lockdowns, restricted working and the intensive use of compartment stock over the past 18 months.

The line’s unique teak-bodied LNER Quad-Art set and four-car rake of BR non-corridor suburban coaches have both seen extensive front line use throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the historic carriages seeing more use in two years than the heritage line would normally diagram them for in a decade! That, coupled with some scheduled repaints that were deferred as a result of the line’s Weybourne workshops being closed due to lockdowns or mechanical maintenance taking priority when Covid precautions restricted the numbers working at any time, meant the NNR’s passenger fleet was starting to look a little tired.

The railway’s answer is a targeted programme to “refresh” the paintwork on no fewer than 14 vehicles which will hold the fort until vehicles undergoing more in depth repairs return to traffic.

Carriage & Wagon Shedmaster, Paul Moxon, said “The plan has affectionately been dubbed ‘operation conveyor belt’ and it will see the 14 vehicles receiving a light rub down and revarnish, or a single coat of paint and varnish in order to keep them looking presentable.”

The first vehicle through the shops was BR Covered Carriage Truck  E94464 which is attached to most of the line’s steam services to convey bikes and pushchairs. The CCT spent two weeks in the sheds and a well as a revarnish also had a refurbished set of springs fitted in readiness for its role as a generator van for the line’s popular Norfolk Lights Express trains.

The team then set to work on the suburban coaches which will all receive a coat of crimson red gloss to the coach sides and a new layer of black applied to the roofs. E43041 was completed by mid October with W46139 immediately taking its place in the painting bay. During the shunt to swap the two coaches, the pair were marshalled side-by-side providing contrasting “before and after” views in one photograph!

The remaining “Subs”, E48001 and E43357 are due to receive similar treatment this month before, once seasonal trains, attention will turn to the North Norfolkman dining set in the New Year with Kitchen cars BG(K) M81033 and RBR E1969 due to be shopped along with one of the train’s dining coaches SO M4372.  Two TSOs from the main service set, M4843 and M4236 will follow before the Quad-Art set has similar treatment next Spring.