Mk1/Mk2 general UK coaching questions (brakes etc)

[Davie_UCF]

With UK coaching, are there any rules regarding how they are run?

For example with Mk1 coaches, on heritage railways or back in the day did the consist have to have a brake mk1 on each end? Are the brake mk1s actually used for braking?
I can see why you may need to have brakes at the back, but once you have run around, you no longer have the brakes at the back.. ?
Do the same rules apply for Mk2's, Gresleys, etc?

Next question, is there anywhere I can go to find how Mk1's were numbered?

Thanks

 

[mezzoprezzo]

With UK coaching, are there any rules regarding how they are run?

For example with Mk1 coaches, on heritage railways or back in the day did the consist have to have a brake mk1 on each end? Are the brake mk1s actually used for braking?
I can see why you may need to have brakes at the back, but once you have run around, you no longer have the brakes at the back.. ?
Do the same rules apply for Mk2's, Gresleys, etc?

Next question, is there anywhere I can go to find how Mk1's were numbered?

Thanks

Any good?
http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/BR(S) coach allocations.PDF

 

[fran1]

A long while ago and IIRC, there was a brake at either end. A BCK/BK (with seating) or BG ( just storage). Both had vacuum brake handles, and also a wheel for applying the brake manually, but just to that vehicle.
The whole train was braked throughout so in the case of only 1 brake van it didn't matter which end it was at. The guard was to be found in it whichever end it was. LMS/WCML.

 

[Davie_UCF]

Any good?
http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/BR(S) coach allocations.PDF

Gosh, looks good! I will have to make sense of it though! thanks!

 

[stovepipe]

Brake coaches did not have to be at each end, but often were on Inter-City services. Cross Country services and secondary routes often had different formations, with brake coaches in the middle for loading parcels, bikes etc, for convenience, or becuase of short platform lengths. If trains split to two or more destinations, there would need to be a brake coach in each portion. The Atlantic Coast Express was a good example of this. If the loco needed to run-round en-route, that might dictate the position of the brake coach, so the guard was near a signal plunger to indicate when the train was ready to start.

Since continuous brakes were developed, the 'brake' was mainly only used for putting the handwheel brake on, which would have been needed when not connected to a locomotive (run-rounds and engine changes) or when stored in sidings.

 

[Davie_UCF]

Thanks for the replies, very clear and helpful!

David