Gresley’s standard LNER 61ft 6in coaches were solidly built, and despite being a design inherited from the GNR in 1923 and built until 1942, many of them lasted in service until 1965, working alongside BR Mk1 coaches, which they were compatible with.
The varnished teak finish was vulnerable to extremes of weather and required constant maintenance to stop them from looking tatty with peeled varnish and cracked panels. Because of this, BR painted the wooden panels crimson and cream after nationalisation, with all-over crimson for the full brake vehicles. A total of 38 former LNER teak coaches have been preserved, including some that have been restored to a varnished teak finish.