GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - British Railways Period Locomotives: gwrbsh1258

Another view of the Dudley Dodger (auto-train) having just arrived at Snow Hill Platform 7 at 4:30 on 1st June 1957. The locomotive is the ex Great Western 0-4-2T 48xx class No 1459. It was built at Swindon Works in August 1935 as No 4859 (Lot 288) and was allocated virtually exclusively to Oswestry and Llanfyllin sheds until 1957, when the locomotive was moved to Stourbridge shed. On 9th November 1946 No 4859 was renumbered No 1459 as part of a general class renumbering scheme to release numbers for the newly converted oil burning freight engines. A year after moving to Stourbridge shed No 1459 was briefly transferred to the Southern Region, but then withdrawn from Weymouth shed (71G) on 18th September 1958 and in early 1959 was sold as scrap to I&R Morkot and cut up at Energlyn, Caerphily.

The 48xx class 0-4-2T engines were specifically built as auto-train locomotives to replace earlier similar 517 class engines, which were life expired. The auto-train locomotives were designed to push or pull specially adapted auto-trailers, which had mechanisms coupled to allow remote control of the locomotive regulator and brake from a driving compartment at the far end of the auto-trailer. When operating trailer first the fireman remained on the locomotive to manage the fire and boiler, while electric bell communication allowed the driver to inform him when the train was about to start, stop or when the fireman needed to release the brakes. Auto-trailer No W44W seen here was built in December 1906 (Lot 1127) as 70 foot diagram L trailer No 44.

This trailer had accommodation for 76 passengers in two compartments either side of a passenger vestibule which had double doors on both sides. Only third class accommodation was provided and the two compartments were designated smoking and non-smoking. A 10 foot long luggage compartment was provided at the engine end of the trailer and the end windows of this compartment were plated over in the 1930s to prevent accidental damage. The early allocation of this trailer is unknown, but this trailer is known to have been in service in the Birmingham area from at least 1940 and was condemned shortly after this photograph was taken in November 1957.

Robert Ferris

back