Miscellaneous

The Austin Motor Company: misc_indust226

These two official photographs show two Austin 10 hp saloon cars loaded in Great Western Railway Motor Car Van No 116968. These Motor Car Vans had opening doors at each end and gas lighting inside. Wooden cross beams and large leather straps were used to secure the motor cars during transportation. These Motor Car Vans had two diagram numbers for the same lot (L1059), eighty wagons were built to Diagram G26 with opening end doors in two halves and twenty wagons to Diagram G32, which had each half door hinged to allow the doors to be opened in confined spaces. The diagram was included in the June 1930 GWR Magazine article reference in mrlong224. Details of the wagons are given below:

Prior to the 1930’s all goods trains to Longbridge had been handled by the Midland/LMS Railway, but after that date the Great Western Railway introduced daily goods services on the Halesowen Railway. A class E express freight ran from Bordesley Junction (dep 4:30am) via Old Hill to arrive at Longbridge at 6:30am and a class J through freight train returned from Longbridge departing at 9:50pm for Stourbridge Junction.

Robert Ferris

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