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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox train
| background = #0033cc;color:white
| name = British Rail Standard Open
| image = BR MK1 SO.jpg
| imagesize = 300px
| imagealt =
| caption = A Mk1 TSO at the [[Midland Railway - Butterley]] in 2006
| interiorimage =
| interiorimagealt =
| interiorcaption =
| service = 1963–
| manufacturer = BR [[Derby Carriage and Wagon Works|Derby (C&W)]], [[Eastleigh Works|Eastleigh]], [[Holgate Road carriage works, York|York Works]] and [[Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company]]
| factory =
| family =
| replaced =
| yearconstruction =
| yearservice =
| refurbishment =
| yearscrapped =
| numberconstruction=
| numberbuilt = ''Mark 1:'' 111,<br>''Mark 2:'' 28
| numberservice =
| numberpreserved =
| numberscrapped =
| formation =
| fleetnumbers =
| capacity = 48 Second
| operator = [[British Rail]]
| depots =
| lines =

| carbody =
| carlength = {{convert|64|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|9|ft|3|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|12|ft|9+1/2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| floorheight =
| platformheight =
| entrylevelorstep =
| doors =
| art-sections =
| maxspeed = ''BR1:'' {{convert|90|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}},<br>''B4:'' {{convert|100|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|32|–|33|t}} 
| aux =
| powersupply =
| hvac =
| bogies = BR1 or B4
| brakes =
| coupling =
| gauge =
}}
'''Second Open''' or '''Standard Open''' (coded '''SO''') is a British [[Passenger car (rail)|coach]] designation for open-saloon second class (later standard class) coaches with 2+1 abreast seating, usually seating 48 passengers. Second class coaches with more conventional 2+2 abreast seating were designated [[Tourist Standard Open]] (TSO) seating 64 passengers.

There were a number of variations. The majority (95) were built using the same body shell as the [[British Railways Mark 1|Mark 1]] SK and TSO. When production started, these were classified as third class. There were also 15 "true" second-class coaches, also known as "Boat Seconds" as they were used on [[boat train]]s for continental destinations (European mainland railways still had three classes). These rare vehicles had an interior layout to almost first-class standards with 2+1 seating (total 48 seats) and a central door without vestibule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=4754|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107020428/http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=4754|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2020|title=BR 3500 Mk 1 Second Open (Body only: Scrapped) built 1951}}</ref> When the European railways agreed in 1956 to abolish third class, British Railways simply reclassified third-class vehicles as second class except for the special "Boat Seconds" which after some deliberation were finally reclassified as first class carriages in 1959. There was also a one-off experimental 39-seat SO built by BRCW as part of the Mark 1 new prototype scheme. In 1965 the new Mark 2 designs incorporated a small run of just 28 Mark 2a SO carriages.{{cn|date=August 2021}}

<gallery>
Image:Interior of Mk2 SO.jpg|Interior detail of a Mk2a SO.
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Open coach]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{British Rail Coaches}}

[[Category:British Rail coaching stock]]

{{UK-rail-transport-stub}}

Standard Open - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#rhrp.org.uk