BR Mk1 FK
13231 Martha

Reception Coach 13231 'Martha' was built in 1959 as a First Class corridor coach, which meant it had 7 luxurious first class compartments. It was outshopped in November 1959 from Swindon Works and would've initially carried BR Maroon livery. From 1963 the now familiar yellow band denoting it was a First Class vehicle would've then been added. This would've been just a couple of years before it was then repainted into Blue & Grey, which is the livery it carried when it arrived at Bitton.

Upon withdrawal from British Rail it was given the departmental number of TDB977132. It was sold to the S.A.S at Moreton-on-Lugg in Herefordshire for use in anti-terrorist training. The carriage sustained considerable internal damage during its time at Moreton-on-Lugg, with multiple types of incendiaries being used in it. 
It was then purchased privately and moved to Bitton in 1987 and received some initial attention, ensuring all the main windows were replaced and it was main waterproofed, before then waiting untouched for several years. In the summer of 1988 this coach was then purchased by the Bitton Railway Company (predecessor of the AVRHT) and became part of the railway’s own fleet of coaches.

In 1998 the vehicle was chosen for conversion to a reception coach for special events. The carriage was gutted inside to provide some five hundred square feet of open space, double doors were added to allow access for wheelchairs and display equipment and carpeted throughout. As this was no longer its original layout, the coach has been reassigned as a 'MPO' or "Multi-purpose open" and can be seen used in our dining trains throughout the year. It was finished in the Pullman colours of Chocolate & Cream and named ‘Martha’ after the mother of the most generous donor towards the cost of converting the carriage.

During the early part of 2022, the carriage was turned so that double doors were now at the south end of the carriage. A fully-stocked bar was also installed at the other end of the carriage to further enhance the dining train experience.