View source for British Rail Mark 2

{{Short description|British railway passenger carriages}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{more citations|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox Train
| background = #0033cc;color:white
| name = British Rail Mark 2
| image = Taunton - Riviera Trains Mk2f 3356.JPG
| imagesize = 300px
| caption = Mark 2f First open in original British Rail livery
| interiorimage = Mark 2 Open First Interior.jpg
| interiorcaption = The interior of a Mark 2 Open First showing the former [[Virgin Trains West Coast]] Burgundy seat moquette trim
| service = 1964–present
| manufacturer = [[British Rail Engineering Limited]]
| factory = ''Prototype:'' [[Swindon Works]],<br>''Production:'' [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works]]
| family = 
| refurbishment = 
| replaced = 
| formation = 
| operator = {{plainlist|
*[[DB Cargo UK]]
*[[Direct Rail Services]]
*[[Network Rail]]
*[[Riviera Trains]]
*[[West Coast Railways]]}}
| depots = 
| lines = 
| yearconstruction = 1963–1975
| yearservice = 1964
| yearscrapped = 
| numberbuilt = 1,876
| numberservice = 
| numberscrapped = 
| carbody = {{plainlist|
*Steel
*Semi-integral}}
| carlength = {{convert|64|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| width = 
| height = 
| floorheight = 
| platformheight = 
| entrylevelorstep = 
| art-sections = 
| doors = Hinged slam, centrally locked
| maxspeed = {{convert|100|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = 
| capacity = 
| aux = 
| powersupply = 
| hvac = Pressure Ventilation<br>[[Air Conditioning]] (1971 onward)
| bogies = B4 or B5
| brakes = {{plainlist|
*Mark 2 as built: [[Railway brake|Clasp]], [[Vacuum brake|Vacuum]] operated
*Mark 2a–2f as built: [[Railway brake|Clasp]], [[Railway air brake|Air]] operated}}
| gauge = {{plainlist|
*{{Track gauge|1435mm|allk=on}}
*{{Track gauge|1600mm|lk=on}} ([[NI Railways|NIR]] [[Iarnród Éireann|IÉ]])
*{{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} [[New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriage|NZ]] [[Taiwan Railway EMU100 series|TR]]
*{{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}} ([[Kenya Railways Corporation|KRC]])}}
}}
The '''Mark 2''' family of railway carriages are [[British Rail]]'s second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops (from 1969 [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] (BREL)) between 1964 and 1975 and were of steel construction.

==Development and production==
{{Unsourced section|date=January 2024}}
The Mark 2 has a semi-integral construction, giving it more strength than a [[British Railways Mark 1|Mark 1]] in the event of an accident.  A key driver of the changed construction method was to overcome the serious corrosion problem point in the Mark 1 at the base of the body, where it was attached to the underframe.  Other changes of design, such as the window units, were for the same reason, which had become a serious problem in Mark 1 vehicle maintenance costs.  Revised painting methods were also part of this, which coincided with the change of livery from maroon (dark green on the Southern) to the blue and grey that Mark 2 coaches wore for much of their lives (some of the earliest Mark 2 coaches had the old livery at first).
The prototype Mark 2, [[First Corridor|FK]] 13252, was built in 1963, and is now preserved by and located at the [[Mid-Norfolk Railway]].
{| class="wikitable"
!Variant
!Built
!Type
!Features
!No. Built
!Original Numbers
|-
| rowspan="8" |Mark 2
| rowspan="8" |1964–66
|Pullman Kitchen First (PK)
| rowspan="8" |The basic model, with pressure ventilation and wood panelling. Fitted with vacuum brakes, so they could run with Mark 1 stock. Dual heating (steam & electric).  Later some were fitted with air-operated disc brakes for Edinburgh - Glasgow push-pull services with Class 27s, which replaced Inter-City Class 126 DMUs.
|8
|500–507
|-
|Pullman Parlour First (PC)
|14
|540–553
|-
|Pullman Brake First (PB)
|7
|580–586
|-
|[[Tourist Standard Open|Tourist Open Second (TSO)]]
|59
|5070–5228
|-
|[[Standard Open|Open Second (SO)]]
|28
|5229–5256
|-
|[[Brake Standard Open|Open Brake Second (BSO)]]
|36
|9381–9416
|-
|[[First Corridor|Corridor First (FK)]]
|71
|13252, 13361–13406, 13410–13433
|-
|Corridor Brake First (BFK)
|28
|14028–14055
|-
| rowspan="4" |Mark 2A
| rowspan="4" |1967–68
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
| rowspan="4" |Adoption of more features from the [[British Rail Mark 1#XP64|XP64 set]]. Air-braked so had to run in dedicated sets. Green folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|177
|5257–5433
|-
|Open Brake Second (BSO)
|22
|9417–9438
|-
|Corridor First (FK)
|42
|13434–13475
|-
|Corridor Brake First (BFK)
|48
|14056–14103
|-
| rowspan="3" |Mark 2B
| rowspan="3" |1969
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
| rowspan="3" |Centre door omitted and wide wrap-round doors at the ends. Space saved by removal of the centre vestibule used to move toilets to one at each end instead of two at one end, as previously. Red folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|64
|5434–5497
|-
|Corridor First (FK)
|38
|13476–13513
|-
|Corridor Brake First (BFK)
|9
|14104–14112
|-
| rowspan="5" |Mark 2C
| rowspan="5" |1969–70
|[[First Open|Open First (FO)]]
| rowspan="5" |As Mk2b, with lowered ceiling with provision for ducts for air conditioning (never fitted). Red folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|18
|3152–3169
|-
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
|118
|5498–5615
|-
|Open Brake Second (BSO)
|40
|9439–9478
|-
|Corridor First (FK)
|48
|13514–13561
|-
|Corridor Brake First (BFK)
|26
|14113–14138
|-
| rowspan="5" |Mark 2D
| rowspan="5" |1971–72
|Open First (FO)
| rowspan="5" |Combined pressure ventilation/air-conditioning fitted so no opening windows in the seating area, glass area reduced, windows tinted. Electric heating only from here onward. Mk2d FKs and BFKs were the last locomotive-hauled side-corridor compartment coaches constructed for British Railways, other than sleeping cars. Red folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|47
|3170–3216
|-
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
|128
|5616–5743
|-
|Open Brake Second (BSO)
|17
|9479–9495
|-
|Corridor First (FK)
|49
|13562–13610
|-
|Corridor Brake First (BFK)
|34
|14139–14172
|-
| rowspan="3" |Mark 2E
| rowspan="3" |1972–74
|Open First (FO)
| rowspan="3" |Luggage racks fitted opposite toilet cubicles, which were reduced in size. Cream folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|55
|3221–3275
|-
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
|160
|5744–5804, 5809–5907
|-
|Open Brake Second (BSO)
|14
|9496–9509
|-
| rowspan="3" |Mark 2F
| rowspan="3" |1973–75
|Open First (FO)
| rowspan="3" |Interior panelling made of plastic, new-style seating (IC70 seats) in most but not all coaches - some TSO had same seats as earlier Mk2s,  full air-conditioning with lower bodyside heaters. These features had debuted on the Mark 3 prototypes. Cream folding plastic gangway doors and vestibule ends.
|164
|3276–3439
|-
|Tourist Open Second (TSO)
|277
|5908–6184
|-
|Open Brake Second (BSO)
|30
|9510–9539
|-
|}

The final Mark 2 carriage was departmental 999550, in 1977. {{as of|2020|11|21}} it is still in service with [[Network Rail]] as a Track Recording Coach. The later versions (2D onwards) look somewhat similar to the later [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]] design. The Mark 3 is longer (75 feet as opposed to 64 feet 6&nbsp;inches), has a large skirting between the bogies to conceal the ancillary equipment, and has a ridged roof as opposed to the smooth roof of the Mark 2. The development of the [[InterCity 125|High Speed Train]] overlapped with that of the final production run, and the Mark 2F "previewed" many features incorporated into the Mark 3, such as new seating, plastic interior panelling, and floor-sensor-operated automatic gangway doors.

Unlike Mark 1 coaches, built by a wide range of manufacturers, both BR workshops and private builders, all production Mark 2 (and Mark 3) coaches were built on a single assembly line at the BR carriage works at Derby.

=== Multiple units based on the Mark 2 ===
Unlike the many [[British Railways Mark 1|Mark 1]] multiple units and the numerous [[British Railways Mark 3|Mark 3]] multiple units that followed, few [[multiple unit]] classes were based on the Mark 2 bodyshell. Most were [[electric multiple units]] with [[British Railways]], and which operated under [[alternating current|AC]] using overhead wires. The first of these were [[British Rail Class 310|Class AM10]] in 1966 operating commuter services from [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and in the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]. The introduction of [[TOPS]] saw these units reclassified Class 310. The other type was [[British Rail Class 312|Class 312]], a derivative of, and almost identical to, the Class 310, introduced in 1975, primarily used on commuter services from [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] and [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]], the last slam-door multiple units built for [[British Railways]]. [[Northern Ireland Railways]] used the Mark 2 bodyshell as the basis for the [[NIR Class 80|80 Class]] [[DEMU]], which entered service in 1974. Thirteen 5 car electric multiple units were built in 1976 for [[Taiwan]] (and withdrawn in 2009): the [[Taiwan Railway EMU100 series]].

<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
File:V Train AC.JPG|Class 310
File:312792 at Shoeburyness.jpg|Class 312
File:IE80Class.jpg|80 Class
File:TRA EMU100 across Platform 2, Sike Station 20090520.jpg|Taiwanese EMU100
</gallery>

==Service==

=== United Kingdom ===
The Mark 2 coach was one of the mainstays of the [[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]] network, but new rolling stock introduced in the [[Impact of the privatisation of British Rail|post-privatisation era]] has resulted in most being withdrawn.

No catering vehicles were built to Mark 2 design, so all Mark 2 Inter City trains offering catering facilities (including the later air conditioned stock) continued to include Mark 1 restaurant or buffet cars.

Since their withdrawal from most main line duties, Mark 2 coaches have played an increasing role on private rail tours, charter trains, and on [[heritage railway]]s. Since 1996, over 140 Mark 2 carriages have been exported to New Zealand, where they are still in mainline service (as of 2020).

==== Manchester Pullman ====
Mark 2 carriages were used on the [[Manchester Pullman]] service from 1966 until withdrawal in 1985. These luxuriously appointed first class carriages had several unusual features, such as inward opening doors and some interior walnut panelling. Only 29 carriages were built. The livery was pearl grey with blue window surrounds, a reversal of the standard British Rail blue and grey livery of the late 1960s and 1970s. A [[Liverpool Pullman]] service was also operated, using the same type of carriages, until 1974.

==== Current ====
As of May 2020, Mark 2 coaches are still in use on some services on the UK rail network.
*[[Network Rail]] operate Mark 2s as brake force carriages on its test trains.
*[[Riviera Trains]] and [[West Coast Railways]] both operate Mark 2s on charters; many of the former's are still painted in [[Anglia Railways]] and [[Virgin Trains]] liveries.

=== Northern Ireland ===
[[File:Railway at Adelaide (2) - geograph.org.uk - 626601.jpg|thumb|Mark 2Bs hauled by a [[CIE 071 Class/NIR Class 111|NIR Class 111]] at [[Adelaide railway station, Northern Ireland|Adelaide]] in 1988.]]
In 1970, NIR purchased new Mark 2Bs for the [[Enterprise (train service)|Enterprise train service]] between Belfast and Dublin. These were initially painted in an attractive maroon and blue livery and worked by maroon BREL-built [[Hunslet Engine Company|Hunslet]] [[Bo-Bo]]s of the [[NIR 101 Class]]. A pale grey livery with a blue stripe below the windows was introduced in the 1980s. This rake included No. 547, the only Mark 2B dining car. This carriage was restored in 2008 by the [[Railway Preservation Society of Ireland]] (RPSI). The Mark 2B carriages were replaced on the Enterprise service by new carriages built in France by [[De Dietrich Ferroviaire]] in 1996.

NIR purchased eight [[British Rail]] '''Class 488''' [[electric multiple unit]] coaches in 2001 that been converted from Mark 2F coaches for the [[Gatwick Express]] service from [[London Victoria station|London Victoria]] to [[Gatwick Airport railway station|Gatwick Airport]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Gex Mk2s sold to Northern Ireland Railways for £1m |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=403 |date= 21 February 2001 |page=53}}</ref> They were renumbered [[Coaching Stock of Ireland#Northern Ireland|8941-8948]], The worked with NIR Generator Van 8911. They were withdrawn on 19 January 2005, having been replaced by new [[NIR 3000 Class|C3K]] units. They were reintroduced in September 2006 to provide extra capacity on the Portadown to Belfast (Central) service, making one trip every morning, hauled by a [[CIE 071 Class|Class 111]] locomotive. An ex-Anglia MkIIf [[DBSO]], No. 9712 (renumbered by NIR as 8918), was bought that year to work with the Gatwick stock, but overhaul and regauging took so long that by the time it arrived in Northern Ireland in 2009, the Gatwicks had been withdrawn. Their final passenger run was on 18 June 2009.

The RPSI also acquired some Mark 2s for use in its steam hauled train in Northern Ireland in the early 2000s. These are normally based at the RPSI's [[Whitehead, County Antrim|Whitehead]] depot, as well as being steam hauled they are also occasionally hired out for diesel hauled railtours. They also have some ex-NIR and ex-CIE Mark 2 stock, some of which formerly operated on the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise service.

The RPSI bought the eight withdrawn Gatwick Express Mark 2 coaches and generator van from NIR, which are currently (2017) in store at Dundalk and Whitehead. They will be used to augment and to replace some of the RPSI's current Mark 2 fleet that work out of Whitehead. The DBSO entered preservation at the [[Downpatrick and County Down Railway]] on 27 September 2014, having never carried a passenger in NIR service or having left York Road depot by rail.

=== Republic of Ireland ===
[[File:Mk2 colbert.JPG|thumb|right|An [[Iarnród Éireann]] Mark 2D at Limerick Colbert Station in 2006]]
In 1972, CIÉ placed an order with BREL for 72 coaches based on the Mark 2D. With air conditioning as a principal feature they became known as "AC Stock" and ran on type B4 bogies, with vacuum brakes.
The order consisted of six First Class coaches (5101–5106), nine Composites (5151–5159), 36 Standard Class (5201–5236), eleven Restaurant/Buffet Standard Class (5401–5411) and eleven Generator Vans (5601–5611). Internal fit-out was done in Inchicore, and was quite different from the original BR design, using bench seating rather than individual seats and with extensive use of wood veneer panelling.

Their electrical system differed from the BR and NIR versions. The generator van contained two engine/generator sets, each supplying 220/380 V 50&nbsp;Hz AC to two separate electrical buses in the train. The air conditioning loads were divided in half, each half fed from a separate bus. In the case of failure of one generator set, the other set automatically supplies both buses. Air conditioning output power would then be halved, but all other loads including cooking, lighting and battery charging would continue to be supplied. This later remained the model for the electrical power supply on all subsequent IE coaches.

To accommodate changes in traffic, five of the Composites (5153–5156, 5158) were re-classed as Standards, and Restaurant/Buffet Standard 5408 was converted for use as the Presidential Coach.

[[Iarnród Éireann]] purchased fifteen carriages from a UK scrap dealer during 1989, in exchange for a similar number of scrap diesel locomotives. Older Mark 2A/B/C carriages were scrapped in 2004, as they were heavily corroded.  A few were preserved (minus bogies) at certain heritage railways in Ireland.

The remaining Mark 2 carriages (the 1972 vintage Mark 2D sets) were phased out during 2007 and 2008, with the last set operating its final service, the 0505 Athlone–Heuston, on 31 March 2008. Two of these coaches, 5106 and 5203, were preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. The Presidential Coach, 5408, has also been preserved by the RPSI.

{{see also|Coaching stock of Ireland}}

===New Zealand===
{{main|New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriage}}
[[File:DC 4692 - Wairarapa Connection (SE Cars) - Wellington (cropped).jpg|thumb|Refurbished Mark 2 carriages used on a [[Metlink Wellington|Metlink]] [[Wairarapa Connection]] service in [[Wellington]], 2014]]
150 refurbished former Mark 2D, 2E, and 2F First Open and Tourist Standard Open carriages are operated on New Zealand railway lines. The first 16 were exported in January 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Sixteen coaches ready for export to New Zealand 1/97 |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=298 |date= February 1997 |page=62}}</ref><!-- Precise date needed --><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Export Mk2 for New Zealand start their journey down under |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue=1152 |date= April 1997 |page=60}}</ref> Although New Zealand railway lines have a narrower [[track gauge]] of {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}, the country has a similar [[loading gauge]], allowing [[Bogie exchange|regauged]] BR carriages to run on most lines. The first carriages were imported in 1996 by then rail operator [[Tranz Rail]] and heritage operator [[Mainline Steam]]. The first seven refurbished carriages entered regular service on 15 November 1999, on the [[Capital Connection]] service between [[Palmerston North]] and [[Wellington]].
[[File:SD masterton.jpg|thumb|left|A British Rail Mark 2 carriage (New Zealand SD class) converted to a [[Control car#Driving Trailers|driving carriage]] for push-pull commuter trains in Auckland.]]
Until 2015, the former British Rail carriages ran virtually all carriage regional commuter services. Most of them (104) operated in Auckland, classified SA (81) and SD (23), in push-pull commuter trains, with three to five SA carriages, an [[Control car#Driving Trailers|SD driving carriage]] (similar to the original Mark 2 DBSOs), and a [[New Zealand DC class locomotive|DC class]] (four- and five-car) or [[New Zealand DF class locomotive (1979)|DFT class]] (six-car) diesel-electric locomotive. Auckland has since replaced its entire suburban fleet with the purpose-built [[New Zealand AM class electric multiple unit]]. Other BR Mark 2 carriages operate on the Capital Connection (8× S class), and the [[Wairarapa Connection]] between [[Masterton]] and Wellington (18× SW class). There are also six SE class carriages, which were used with electric locomotives on Wellington commuter services between 2008 and 2011 as a temporary measure until new EMUs were delivered. The carriages were reassigned to the Wairarapa Connection in June 2013, where peak service patronage was starting to exceed the capacity of the SW carriage fleet. Mainline Steam also own four refurbished carriages, classified ML, which are based in [[Plimmerton]] (north of Wellington) and are used for its steam-hauled excursions.

All New Zealand Mark 2 carriages retain their original BR running numbers.

===Taiwan===
{{main|EMU100 series}}
Following a decision to electrify [[Taiwan]]'s busy [[TRA Western Line|West Coast Main Line]], thirteen 5-car [[electric multiple unit]]s based on the Mark 2 design were built by BREL in York for the [[Taiwan Railway Administration]] in 1976, but following problems with the electrical equipment and excessive weight could not enter service until 1979 following the completion of remedial works. They used GEC electrical equipment and were built for {{Track gauge|1067mm}} [[track gauge]]. They were used on the [[Tze-Chiang Limited Express]] service. They were withdrawn from service in 2009.

===Kenya===
Carriages based on the Mark 2 design were built by BREL for the [[Kenya Railways Corporation]] in the late 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ntz.info/gen/n02436.html|work=Information about Northern Tanzania |title=Itigi|via=ntz.info}}</ref>

==Models==
{{Unsourced section|date=January 2024}}

===OO gauge===
Over the years, the British Railways Mark 2 design has been manufactured by many of the British model railway manufacturers.

[[Hornby Railways]] introduced Mk. 2 BFK and TSO models in the late 1960s and these have remained in production intermittently ever since, sometimes being used to represent coaches of later variants (such as the Mk.2 B BFK in the [[British Royal Train|Royal Train]]). Hornby announced in 2013 that it would produce the Mk2E variant for its 2014 range. These are re-tooled versions and will be available in both their main range and their RailRoad range. Some from the main range will have interior lighting. Hornby are making three versions of the Mk2E i.e. FO, TSO and BSO.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

[[Airfix]] introduced Mk. 2D BSO, FO and TSO models in the late 1970s, these later being produced by its successors [[Palitoy|Mainline]], [[Dapol]] and ultimately Hornby. The Airfix Mk. 2D was a high quality model for its day, being more accurately detailed than most contemporary products, and it is still being produced by Hornby.

[[Lima (models)|Lima]] produced Mk. 2B BFK, FK and TSO and Mk. 2E FO and TSO models. These were approximately 1&nbsp;cm under scale length, and have not been produced since Lima  was taken over by Hornby.

[[Bachmann Branchline]] introduced Mk. 2 and Mk. 2A BFK, BSO, FK and TSO models in the early 2000s, which were more detailed than the various older models. Bachmann have also announced new Mk. 2F BSO, DBSO, FO, RFB and TSO models for production in 2013–14.

A range of Mk. 2Bs covering both the BR and NIR variants was announced by Irish Railway Models and its British-outline arm Accurascale in late 2021. These will cover all variants. The BR versions under the Accurascale brand will be available individually, whilst the NIR versions under the Irish Railway Models brand will be available in 3-car packs.

===N gauge===
[[Graham Farish]] produce Mk.2F BSO, FO, RFB and TSO models and have announced upgraded models including a DBSO for 2013–14.  Mk.2A BSO, FK and TSO models were announced in 2012–13.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Harris, Michael (1999). ''British Rail Mark 2 Coaches - the design that launched InterCity'' [http://www.mdsbooks.co.uk/detail.html?this=aaVPL48 Venture Publications]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{ISBN|978-1-898432-48-7}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|url=http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/CS/Book_No_200_EK_web.pdf|title=Vehicle Diagram Book No. 200 for Loco Hauled Coaches|via=Barrowmore MRG|publisher=British Railways Board|location=Derby|date=January 1989}}
*{{cite magazine|title=The Mk 2 coaches|first=Evan|last=Green-Hughes|magazine=Hornby Magazine|pages=42–45|issue=47|date=May 2011|location=Hersham|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|issn=1753-2469|oclc=226087101}}

==External links==
*[https://sremg.org.uk/coach/brmk2.shtml BR Mk II (early/a/b/c) coaches] at Southern Railway E-mail Group
*{{commons category-inline|British Rail Mk2 coaches}}

{{Mark 2-derived}}
{{British Rail Coaches}}

[[Category:British Rail coaching stock|Mark 2]]
[[Category:Railway coaches of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Train-related introductions in 1964]]