April 2010 - Following refurbishment of the Moorlander the second project involved the Kitchen coach that accompanies it. This has been stripped right back and re-sprayed in a chocolate brown to match the Moorlander. There have also been a range of maintenance tasks, such as correcting some plumbing leaks. Several running boards have been replaced where the wood had begun to rot, plus some roof vents and some window servicing.

The 'horse shoe' corridor connection at the north end have also been taken off for maintenance and painting. This has also involved some new sealing rubber. Re-installing this item, that weighs about 100 kg, back on the coach, required the fork lift truck to make some delicate manoeuvres at full elevation.

The final job was the lining out of the paint work by the sign painter and now we have a fine looking pair of coaches.

The carpets were refitted at the end of November, so that the new paint scheme can be seen to good effect. The combination of chocolate and cream has been applied in a similar pattern to that of the BR Pullman coaches and has enhanced the Moorlander considerably.

A major refurbishment of the Moorlander coach has been carried out. This coach was attacked by graffiti vandals whilst standing in the Cheddleton bay platform and so the decision was taken to re-spray the body with a completely new colour scheme.
The strip down has also provided the opportunity to carry out a substantial programme of work on the doors. The two centre passenger doors have been eliminated and the openings filled with a new welded skin. All of the four end doors have been removed and replaced with rebuilt aluminium doors, with new internal hardwood fittings.
Also on the outside, the roof has been stripped and repainted and new wooden steps have been prepared and varnished for the four door exits. New saddle blocks have been made for the buffer fittings.
On the inside, the carpets and tables have been removed and all the lattice wood radiator grilles over the heating pipework have been tidied. To improve the internal equipment, improved storage shelves have been installed and varnished. The ceiling has been repainted to clean up many years of smoke and grime. Some of the mahogany trim around the windows has been replaced, where condensation has caused serious decay.

Paul Spare

14th Oct 2009 - "The Moorlander" (dining coach) is now in the works and all of the tables, chairs, curtains and carpeting have been removed and put into safe storage. The two centre doors (east and west) have been removed completely and blocked off with new sheet steel. At the moment two bottom glasses (windows) on the west side have had to be taken out due to the skin being rotten. Four new doors, ex. VEP scrap, are replacing the original ones (east side - north/south and west side - north/south). All of the glass in the windows has now been cleaned after the graffiti attack.

Brian Wright