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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Structure: gwrbsh3825

Great Western Railway single horse flat trolley No 971 loaded with several carcasses outside St Chads Roman Catholic Cathedral

Great Western Railway single horse flat trolley No 971 loaded with several carcasses outside St Chads Roman Catholic Cathedral in Birmingham. The Great Western Railway had issued a standard design drawing (No 59981) for a standard one horse trolley design in September 1920. The drawing shows 3 foot 3 inch diameter twelve spoke ‘artillery type’ cart wheels supported on leaf springs, with the 8 foot shafts attached to an articulated front axle. Driver arrangements varied between areas; the Birmingham pattern had a box seat raised ten inches above the flat vehicle floor. A canvas hood was secured to an arched framework which could be repositioned to give some weather protection to the load and a little to the driver. There was no mechanical brake, but a drag shoe was provided and this can be seen hanging next to the rear cart wheel. A single horse was expected to haul up to 36 cwt at a speed of 6 mph and cover 20 miles in their day's work.

Robert Ferris

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