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}}The '''178''' is a '''GWR Autocoach''', sometimes called an autotrailer. It was resident on the SVR between 1969 and 1979, although never fully restored, was and returned to the railway in 2014. ==Autocoaches==Autocoaches were 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 linesincluding the Severn Valley Branch.

 Many Autocoaches autocoaches were rebuilt from [[GWR Steam Railmotor | steam railmotors]], although three batches to Collet's designs entered service as new between 1929 and 1933, including both examples on the SVR were built as autocoaches from new.

178 was one of ten built at Swindon in 1930 as part of Lot 1410 to Diagram A28.<ref name = RHRCS>Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey[[Bibliography#Books|Harris (1966)]] p. 151.</ref> Its working It had a length of 62ft 8 in and the design featured mahogany panelling and hammered-glass ventilators. Re-numbered as W178W by BR, it was eventually withdrawn from the Cardiff district in August 1961 and transferred into Departmental Engineers' use, ending its life ended at the former LMS Wolvertonworks where it was condemned in 1964<ref group="note">Vehicles were normally renumbered when transferred into Departmental use. Although some other autocoaches were so renumbered, Longworth does not record a Departmental number in the case of W178W.</ref><ref name=SB4>SVR Stock Book Fourth Edition</ref><ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Longworth (2018)]] p.175.</ref>.

Several attempts by other preservation groups failed, and 178 first arrived on the SVR on 1 January 1969, owned was eventually purchased in 1968 by D.R.G. Gwynne-Jones<ref name=SVR15>SVR News 15</ref>, arriving at Bewdley from Wolverton on 1 January 1969. Coach 160 of similar design was also purchased from Tyseley to be cannibalised for spares.<ref name=SB4/> In Autumn 1975 SVR news noted that "It is a source of great regret that the SVR announced that 178 and [[were too late in the day to purchase an auto-fitted GWR 6562 Brake Composite]] were loco to be acquired from Daccompany the trailer.R.G. Gwynne-Jones by However, several possibilities are under consideration, including the conversion of [[Great Western (SVR) Association813|GWR 813]]for push and pull duties".<ref>SVR News 37</ref> However 178 left the SVR in 1979, moving to the Dean Forest railway.<ref name = RHRCS/>

During 1969, the 'Bewdley restoration group' began restoration work on 178 returned to and completed the SVR in March 2014 along dismantling and scrapping of 160.<ref name=SVR15/> By Autumn 1970 work had temporarily ceased on 178, with autocoach efforts being centred on Ocean Saloon 9113 and [[GWR 238 Autotrailer 3930 Full Third | 238]] and auto-fitted locomotive [[GWR 1450Toplight 3930]], all three vehicles being owned although it had resumed by [[Pull Push Limited]]April 1970.<ref>FelsteadSVR News 18, K., 'Track Record', The Railway Magazine, January 202119</ref>.

Interior views 178 returned to the SVR in March 2014 along with autocoach [[GWR 238 Autotrailer Third | 238]] and auto-fitted locomotive [[GWR 1450]], all three vehicles being owned by [[Pull Push Limited]]<ref>Felstead, K., 'Track Record', The Railway Magazine, January 2021</ref>. Since that time 1450 and the autocoaches have seen use on the SVR, particularly at gala events, and also on hire to other railways, until the locomotive was withdrawn from traffic in December 2020 at the expiry of 178its boiler certificate.

<gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:178 interior 11450_20140309.JPGjpg|1450 with both autocoaches in March 2014File:178 interior 21.JPG|Interior detailFile:178 interior 3.JPGFile:178 interior 4.JPGFile:178 interior 5.JPG|Interior detail

*[http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=42 178 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]<br>