THE VCT COLLECTION

1 Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway No. 103; four wheeled Tri-composite Carriage

This has to be the jewel in the crown of the present collection. This four-wheeled Victorian carriage was built in 1876 for the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway as No.103 but ended its days 85 years later as an undignified stores van at Retford. It was Tony Cox who stepped in and purchased the vehicle from BR in 1961. It was brought to the VCT base at Haworth in 1965 and became the first vehicle entrusted to its care and collection.

In 1897 the MSLR became part of the Great Central Railway and it was a VCT decision to restore the vehicle to that of its time as GCR No. 176. Sufficient funding for external restoration was made available from the VCT and this work was completed by 1980, with internal restoration completed during 1985.

This carriage can now be used for filming and will participate in occasional events on the railway. However, as it is the oldest vehicle in the collection, it is normally on display in the museum.

Its most recent run in preservation was in March 2015 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its arrival on the KWVR. On that occasion, it formed part of atwo-carriage train, together with the Chatham carriage and hauled by the 1890-built Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST both of which were