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British Railways Mark 2

British Rail Mark 2
ScotRail Mk2 coach at Euston.jpg
In service 1964–present
Manufacturer British Rail Engineering Limited
Built at Prototype: Swindon Works,
Production: Derby Carriage and Wagon Works
Constructed 1963–1975
Entered service 1964
Number built 1,876
Operator(s) Abellio Greater Anglia
Caledonian Sleeper
Abellio ScotRail
DB Cargo UK
Direct Rail Services
Network Rail
Riviera Trains
West Coast Railway Company
Specifications
Car body construction Steel
Semi-integral
Car length 64 ft 6 in (19.66 m)
Doors Hinged slam, centrally locked
Maximum speed 100 mph (161 km/h)
Train heating Pressure Ventilation
Air Conditioning (1971 onward)
Bogies B4 or B5
Braking system(s)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) (NIR )
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) NZ TR
1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in) metre gauge (KRC)

The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were 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. They were of steel construction.

The Mark 2 has a semi-integral construction, giving it more strength than a Mark 1 in the event of an accident, although 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 Mark 2 coach was one of the mainstays of the InterCity network, but new rolling stock introduced in the post-privatisation era has resulted in most being withdrawn.

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 railways. Since 1996, over 140 Mark 2 carriages have been exported to New Zealand, where they are still in mainline service (as of 2013).

The prototype Mark 2, FK 13252, was built in 1963, now preserved by the National Railway Museum and located at the Mid-Norfolk Railway.

The final Mark 2 carriage was departmental 999550, in 1977. As of 20 July 2009 it is still in service with Network Rail as a Track Recording Coach. The later versions (2D onwards) look somewhat similar to the later Mark 3 design. The Mark 3 is longer (75 feet as opposed to 64 feet 6 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 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.


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