GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Widney Manor Station: gwrwm2629

Close-up of the driving end of ex-Barry Railway Auto-Trailer No 178, when in British Railways Departmental ownership and carrying No W4303. The photograph was taken when the auto-trailer was residing in the mileage siding at the back of the goods yard at the northern end of Widney Manor Station circa 3/4/1953 (see 'gwrwm2627' and 'gwrwm2628' for other views and information).

The double doors gave access to the driver’s compartment, which contained; a single seat, the regulator and brake handles. There were no interior doors from this compartment to the rest of the coach. The area was identified on the official drawing as a 'guard and luggage compartment' indicating its use when not being used by a driver and explaining the provision of double doors. Further back the single door gave access to a 2 foot, 8 inch wide vestibule with an internal central door giving access to the forward non-smoking third class compartment which contained two bays of seating for sixteen passengers. Unlike Great Western Railway designed Auto-Trailers neither this vestibule door, nor the recessed door at the rear of the coach, had retractable steps to facilitate access from ground level, but a single step and low level commode handle was provided to assist access up to the driver’s compartment.

Next to the front wheel on this bogie is the sand pipe which delivered dry sand directly under this wheel to assist adhesion when the brake was applied. The brake blocks can be seen clearer on either side of the rear wheel on this bogie. One item that had been removed from No W4303 by the time this photograph was taken, was the large warning gong, which from the late 1920’s was normally to be found above the right hand driver’s window on Auto-Trailers. Although it was possible to operate the locomotive's whistle by a cord from the diving compartment, this had been found to be an unsatisfactory warning device when the Auto-Trailer(s) were leading and a pedal operated gong provided a simple solution.

This photograph is displayed courtesy of the HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society) and copies can be ordered directly from them using the link HERE, quoting reference ABW626.

Robert Ferris

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