9208

9208 was built to lot 30170 by British Railways at Doncaster Works in 1956 to diagram 183. It is a Mark 1 carriage - the first in a series of standardised carriage designs. Specifically, 9208 is a Brake Second Open - meaning it has an open plan seating layout arranged around tables, along with a Guard’s office containing a handbrake wheel and emergency brake lever, and a luggage storage area (now converted for use by wheelchairs).

When 9208 first entered service, it was allocated to the Eastern Region and was one of four BSO carriages in two designated coach sets for The Talisman express train service when that service was launched in September 1956. Talisman sets were painted in BR maroon with crests applied sometime in 1957.

It was withdrawn from mainline passenger service in April 1983, before being reinstated as a departmental vehicle and renumbered ADB977134. In departmental service, it was used as a stock movement brake coach. It was withdrawn from departmental service in March 1988 and stored in Stonebridge Park depot in London until it was sold in November 1988 to the Chichester & Midhurst Railway Preservation Society.

After it was sold, it was kept in storage on BR metals before moving to Euston Downside Carriage Shed in February 1989, and then to Willesden Carriage Sidings in April 1989. The carriage was kept in Willesden until March 1990, when it was moved to MoD Long Marston in Warwickshire.

It was purchased by an AVR member in 1991 and kept at Long Marston until January 2000, when the coach was moved to Bitton for restoration to begin.

As part of the restoration project, the passenger saloon was completely stripped and new fixtures and fittings were installed, including new carpets and curtains. The former luggage area was converted into a storage area for pushchairs and wheelchairs. When restoration was complete, it became part of our dining train fleet of carriages and painted in the Pullman colours of Chocolate & Cream. It was named ‘Grace’ after the mother of a previous AVR manager.

In 2018, the carriage was repainted into its current livery of Crimson & Cream.