Difference between revisions of "GWR 178 Autotrailer Third"

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 lines including the Severn Valley Branch.

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.

• 

  Driving compartment

• 

  Bell push

• 

  Guard's area

Many autocoaches were rebuilt from steam railmotors, although three batches to Collet's designs entered service as new between 1929 and 1933, including both examples on the SVRSevern Valley Railway.

Service

178 was one of ten built at Swindon in 1930 as part of Lot 1410 to Diagram A28.^[1] It had a length of 62ft 8 in and the design featured mahogany panelling and hammered-glass ventilators. Re-numbered as W178W by BRBritish Rail or British Railways, it was eventually withdrawn from the Cardiff district in August 1961 and transferred into DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. Engineers' use, ending its life at the former LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway Wolverton works where it was condemned in 1964^{[note 1][2][3]}.

Preservation

Several attempts by other preservation groups failed, and 178 was eventually purchased in 1968 by D.R.G. Gwynne-Jones^[4], arriving at Bewdley from Wolverton on 1 January 1969. Coach 160 of similar design was also purchased from Tyseley to be cannibalised for spares.^[2] SVRSevern Valley Railway news noted that "It is a source of great regret that the SVRSevern Valley Railway were too late in the day to purchase an auto-fitted GWRGreat Western Railway loco to accompany the trailer. However, several possibilities are under consideration, including the conversion of GWR 813 for push and pull duties".

During 1969, the 'Bewdley restoration group' began restoration work on 178 and completed the dismantling and scrapping of 160.^[4] By Autumn 1970 work had temporarily ceased on 178, with efforts being centred on Ocean Saloon 9113 and Toplight 3930, although it had resumed by April 1970.^[5]

In early 1975 an agreement was reached with Dr. Glynne-Jones for 8 of the 10 coaches in his ownership on the SVRSevern Valley Railway to be transferred to the GWSGreat Western Society at Didcot. In Autumn 1975 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced that agreement had further been reached for the remaining two coaches, 178 and GWR 6562 Brake Composite, to be acquired from Dr. Gwynne-Jones by the Great Western (SVR) Association.^[6] By Autumn 1977 full restoration remained "a long term task",^[7] and following "a bit of a clearout as regards coaching stock", 178 left the SVRSevern Valley Railway in 1979, moving to the DeanWilliam Dean, Chief Locomotive Engineer of the Great Western Railway 1877-1902 Forest railway.^[8].

178 returned to the SVRSevern Valley Railway in February 2014^[9] along with autocoach 238 and auto-fitted locomotive GWR 1450, all three vehicles being owned by Pull Push Limited^[10]. Both autocoaches required attention on arrival, with around six volunteers working for three weeks to repair sticking doors, windows, a broken toplight, damaged tip-up seats and a leaking roof. After crew training had been carried out, the stock was used in that year's Spring Steam Gala.^[9]

• 

  Crew training, 9 March 2014

During 2015 178 spent time in the scaffold painting dock on Road 4 of Kidderminster Carriage Shed while the Indian Red around its windows was touched up.^[11] Since arrival 1450 and the autocoaches have seen use on the SVRSevern Valley Railway, particularly at gala events and footplate experiences,^[12] and also on hire to other railways, until the locomotive was withdrawn from traffic in December 2020 at the expiry of its boiler certificate.

• 

  Interior detail

• 

  Interior detail

See also

• List of carriages
• Pull Push Limited

Notes

1. ↑ Vehicles were normally renumbered when transferred into DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. use. Although some other autocoaches were so renumbered, Longworth does not record a DepartmentalRolling stock used for the railway’s own functions (engineering etc.) rather than for general passenger or goods traffic. number in the case of W178W.

References

1. ↑ Harris (1966) p. 151.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Fourth Edition
3. ↑ Longworth (2018) p.175.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} SVRSevern Valley Railway News 15
5. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 18, 19
6. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 35, 37
7. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book 6th edition
8. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 53
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} SVRSevern Valley Railway News 186
10. ↑ Felstead, K., 'Track Record', The Railway Magazine, January 2021
11. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 191
12. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 187

Links

• 178 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line