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|status = In service
|carno = 178
|othernos = W178W
|designed = Collett
|diagram = A28
|lot = 1410
|cartype =
|seats =
|built = 1930
|years1 = 19681969
|events1 = Preserved on SVR
|years2 = 19751979
|events2 = Left SVR
|years3 = 2014
|years6 =
|events6 =
}} The GWR Autocoach, sometimes called an autotrailer, was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The autocoach has a driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be on the footplate of the locomotive. This eliminates the need for the engine to run round to the other end of the coach at the end of each journey. The combination of locomotive and autocoach(es) is known as an auto-train or, historically, a railmotor train, and they were mainly used on small branch lines.
Steam locomotives provided with the equipment to be used as an auto-train are said to be auto-fitted. The driver operates the regulator, brakes and whistle from the autocoach; the fireman remains on the locomotive and in addition to firing, also controls the valve gear settings. The driver, guard and fireman can communicate with each other by an electric bell system.
Many Autocoaches were rebuilt from [[GWR Steam Railmotor | steam railmotors]], although both examples on the SVR were built as autocoaches from new.
==Service==178 was built at Swindon in 1930as part of Lot 1410 to Diagram A28. It was originally preserved <ref name = RHRCS>Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey</ref> Its working life ended at Wolverton.<ref name=SB4>SVR Stock Book Fourth Edition</ref> ==Preservation==178 first arrived on the SVR on 1 January 1969, owned by Mr D R Gwynne-Jones.<ref name=SB4/> In Autumn 1975 the SVR announced that 178 and [[GWR 6562 Brake Composite]] were to be acquired from Mr Gwynne-Jones by [[Great Western (SVR) Assoc. | The Great Western (SVR) Association]].<ref>SVR News 37</ref> However 178 left the SVR in 19681979, before moving to the Dean Forest railway in the 1970s. It <ref name = RHRCS/> 178 returned to the SVR in March 2014 along with Mike Little’s other autocoach [[GWR 238 Autotrailer Third | 238]] and auto-fitted locomotive [[GWR 1450]].
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