No.16 was purchased from Dick, Kerr & Co Ltd of Preston in 1900 as an open topped bogie car. A single truck replaced the bogies in 1901. The car was rebuilt as totally enclosed in 1922. After rebuilding in 1933 it was withdrawn in March 1953. The lower deck spent the next 35 years as a sports changing room and then as an apple store before being taken to Beamish in 1989. Restoration to its 1920’s style began in early 2000 and it returned to service at Beamish in 2003.

The model was built from the re-pillared sides of a Keil Kraft Birmingham Car, the upper and lower deck bulkheads from a Keil Kraft West Ham car and heavily modified dashes, platforms, windscreens, top deck ends, upper saloon seats and a shortened roof from a Tower E1 and was fitted with cast reversed stairs and a Halling KSW chassis.

© Gordon Bulmer 2022