Current number:
975091
Any other previous number(s):
BR coach 34615
Notes:
Formerly "Test Car 3"
Livery:
YELLOW - NETWORK RAIL RESEARCH LIVERY

Categories:
National network vehicles
975xxx series
Test Trains - Network Rail

Photos

Comments

The following comments have been left on photos of this vehicle. To reply, just visit one of the photos.

• 975091

  17 August 2002 - Ben

  This looks very smart after its recent repaint into this new livery... just a shame somebody can't spell!

• 975091 detail

  23 August 2004 - Ben Williams

  Of course its not often you get to see the roof of this coach properly! so Peter was lucky to catch this near the footbridge at Temple Mills....

• 975091

  21 October 2004 - Ben Williams

  The name "MENTOR" actually stood for Mobile Electronic Network Testing & Observation Recorder.

• 975091

  12 April 2006 - Jo Coultas

  Otherwise known as TORMENT, according to some ex RTC staff.

• 975091

  25 March 2007 - Mr G A Woodward MIET IENG

  Dear Sir, or Madam,

  I believe that I may have done a lot of work on this carriage, while working as an apprentice vehicle builder in BREL Swindon Works in about the year 1978. I also remember working on Hermes which was a sister test carriage to Mentor and was built at roughly the same time.

  Could you possibly tell me where the work on this MENTOR carriage was done. Of course it could be one of many.

  Would you happen to know if these are the ones built in Swindon? as I would have been a young lad of about 18 years at the time, but am now 53 years. Frightening!

  Thank you

  Mr G A Woodward MIET IENG

• 975091

  21 February 2008 - James

  This might sound a stupid question but what does OHLM mean? I can get the “over head line” but the m is difficult

  Cheers

  James

• 975091

  21 February 2008 - kev

  the ancronym stands for the below :

  Over

  Head

  Line

  Maintenance

• 975091 detail

  8 April 2008 - p calderwood

  a smart looking coach i would like to model it in oo guage can anyone tell me what type of coach the donor was ?

• 975091 detail

  8 April 2008 - Catkins

  P Calderwood

  Looking at the nice broadside shot of it in Railtrack yellow I am going to make an educated guess that the donor coach was a BSK, and it looks as if a window has been put in to the area where one set of the double doors used to be, and THE GUARDS DOOR has been plated over.

  I hope that this is of help to you.

• 975091 detail

  8 April 2008 - Ben Williams

  A search using that helpful little box in the top right of your screen will tell you exactly what number this coach was originally.......!! But yes a BSK sounds about right.

• 975091 detail

  8 April 2008 - SD0853

  This coach is still known as MENTOR even though the name is not carried on the vehicle.

• 975091 detail

  15 October 2008 - Dave Coxon

  MENTOR was converted at Swindon in 1973 from BSK No:W34616 which was built in 1955. It was called MENTOR which was an acronym for 'Mobile Electrical Network Testing, Observation and Recording'.

• 975091

  11 January 2009 - Rob

  Apparently this has special dispensation this weekend to run at 110mph on WCML in an attempt to pick up any further OHL problems following last weeks numerous mishaps.

• 13 May 2013 - Mick Bryan

  MENTOR is undergoing a major rebuild and has acquired a corridor connection at one end

• 24 September 2013 - Mick Bryan

  Mentor is now back out on the mainline.

• 975091

  19 December 2013 - Ben Williams

  Apparently this has recently had its gangway refitted at this end after a major refit.

• 21 February 2016 - James Craig

  Recently saw this looking different again, new windows installed on both sides?

• 21 February 2016 - Dan Adkins

  Don't think so. The hopper style windows are still there, but the frames have been painted yellow.