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[[File: {{Infobox carriage|image = 1450_20140309.jpg|thumb|200px|right|caption = Autocoach 238 leads GWR 1450 away from Highley]]|construc =BR(W) Swindon|status = In service|carno = W238W|othernos = |designed = Hawksworth|diagram = A43|lot = 1766|cartype = Auto trailer|length = 63ft 0¾in|weight = 31t 13cwt|seats = 68 third|built = 1954|years1 = 2014|events1 = Arrived on SVR|years2 = |events2 = |years3 = |events3 = |years4 = |events4 = |years5 = |events5 = |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.

W238 was built at Swindon in 1954Many Autocoaches were rebuilt from [[GWR Steam Railmotor | steam railmotors]], after nationalisation, to a Hawksworth design. It was originally preserved at although both examples on the Paignton & Dartmouth, before moving to the Dean Forest railway in May 2008. The Severn Valley Carriage Restoration Department at Bewdley carried out a full restoration SVR were built as a contract job, which was completed by June 2011. This included a repaint into early 1960s BR lined maroon livery and application of the name "Chaffinch" (as intended when originally built, but never carried)autocoaches from new.

W238 moved ==W238W in service==W238W was built at Swindon in 1954, after Nationalisation, as Diagram A43 Lot 1766 to a Hawksworth design. By that time BR had adopted a carriage numbering scheme using a prefix to indicate the region to which the carriage was allocated ('W' being the SVR in March 2014 along with Mike Little’s other autocoach Western region) and a suffix to indicate its pre-Nationalisation origin ('W' referring to its former GWR design). It seated 68, 4 fewer than the pre-war Collett designed [[GWR 178 Autotrailer Third | 178]] and auto-fitted locomotive [[GWR 1450]].

==SourcesW238W in preservation==It was originally preserved pre-1972 at the Paignton & Dartmouth, before moving to the Dean Forest railway in May 2008.<ref>Railway Heritage Register Wagon Survey</ref> [[Bewdley Carriage Survey& Wagon Department]] carried out a full restoration as a contract job, which was completed by June 2011. This included a repaint into early 1960s BR lined maroon livery and application of the name "Chaffinch" (as intended when originally built, but never carried).  W238W moved to the SVR in March 2014 along with autocoach [[GWR 178 Autotrailer Third | 178]] and auto-fitted locomotive [[GWR 1450]], all owned by [[Pull Push Limited]].<ref>Felstead, K., 'Track Record', The Railway Magazine, January 2021</ref> It usually sees use on local trains at galas, on footplate experience workings and on charters. It joined [[GWR 1450|1450]] at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 'Cotswold Festival of Steam gala' in May 2017.<ref>[http://gwsrsteamloco.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/gala-loco-announcements.html Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway blog 13 March 2017] (Retrieved 13 March 2017)</ref>  ==See also==*[[Carriages| List of carriages]]*[[Pull Push Limited]] ==References==<brreferences/>

[http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrustrhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=55 W238 on vintagecarriagestrust.orgRailway Heritage Register On-Line]<br>

==See also=={{CarriageNavbox}}[[Carriages| List of carriages]]<br>: [[GWR 178 Autotrailer Third | Previous ]]<br>Category: [[GWR 261 Toplight 'Snake C' Passenger Brake | Next Featured articles]]