Rolling Stock

Passenger Stock

The NER originally operated with short four and six wheeled coaches with a fixed wheelbase. From these were developed the standard 32 ft six wheeled, low elliptical roofed coaches which were built in their thousands around the 1880s , one variety alone, the diagram 15, five compartment, full 3rd class, numbered around a thousand.

The NER started building bogie stock for general service use in 1894, 52 ft clerestories for general use, with a 45 ft variation built for use on the tightly curved line from Malton to Whitby, to the design of David Bain. Even after Bain left in 1902 to go to the Midland Railway his basic designs were followed. There was also a series of 49 ft low ark roofed bogie coaches (with birdcage brakes) for use on the coast line north of Scarborough.

In 1905 a change was made to elliptical roofs with matchboard sides. However in 1906 new vehicles reverted to the panelled sides of the Bain design and as they kept the same internal layout of the clerestory coaches the only difference was the roof. Some stock had internal corridors but is was not until 1908 that the gangway corridor was introduced (including the Hull to Liverpool route - via York or Selby?). Most gangway vehicles were carried on eight wheels but some 65ft. 6in. dining cars were on two six-wheeled bogies.

The NER had limited need for vestibuled coaches but from 1908 built a series of vestibuled, corridor coaches with British Standard gangways, for their longer distance services. At the same time they built (in conjunction with their partners) similar coaches for the East Coast Joint Stock GNR/NER/NBR) and the Great Northern and North Eastern Joint Stock.

All NER coach building was concentrated at their York Carriage Works, which went on to be the main LNER carriage works after grouping.

With the introduction of the standard 32 ft 6w coaches NER carriage livery was standardised as 'deep crimson' (a deeper colour with more blue in it than that used by the Midland Railway), lined with cream edged on both sides with a thin vermilion line. For a time the cream was replaced with gold leaf. Lettering ('N.E.R.' or when there was sufficient space 'North Eastern Railway' in full, together with 'First', 'Third' and 'Luggage Compt.' on the appropriate door) and numbering; was in strongly serifed characters, blocked and shaded to give a 3D effect.

The NER's bogie coach building program was such that, almost unique amongst pre-grouping railways, they had sufficient bogie coaches to cover normal service trains; six wheel coaches were reserved for strengthening and excursion trains.

Goods Stock

Wagon stock was notable for the numerous high-capacity mineral wagons, most of which were 20 ton hopper wagons - distinguishable by their high slopping sides. These were used mainly for the Northumberland and Durham collieries to transport coal to the staiths at Tyneside.