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[[File: GWR_178_20140309.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Autocoach 178 behind GWR 1450]]
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.
178 was built at Swindon in 1930. It was originally preserved at the SVR in 1968, before moving to the Dean Forest railway in the 1970s. It 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]].
==Sources==
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey<br>
==Links==
[http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=42 178 on vintagecarriagestrust.org]<br>
==See also==
[[Carriages| List of carriages]]
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.
178 was built at Swindon in 1930. It was originally preserved at the SVR in 1968, before moving to the Dean Forest railway in the 1970s. It 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]].
==Sources==
Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey<br>
==Links==
[http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=42 178 on vintagecarriagestrust.org]<br>
==See also==
[[Carriages| List of carriages]]
