·  LMS  ·  GWR  ·  LNER  ·  Misc  ·  Stations  ·  What's New  ·  Video  ·  Guestbook  ·  About

GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Grouping Period Rolling Stock: gwrbsh2495

GWR non-corridor third class clerestory coach (Diagram C10) No 3206 on the down main line at Birmingham Snow Hill Station in 1947

Great Western Railway non-corridor third class clerestory coach (Diagram C10) No 3206 on the down main line at Birmingham Snow Hill Station in 1947. These 46 foot, 6¾ inch long coaches had eight third class compartments. The first lots were originally built as express stock, but with the introduction of ganged corridor trains on the express services, the design subsequently became the standard suburban commuter train stock. Construction continued over eight years until 1902 with a total of 310 coaches built during that period. Details of the various lots are given in the table below:

Lot Completion Date Quantity Running Numbers
724 21st July 1894 20 2843 – 2862
744 14th December 1895 25 2908 – 2932
773 17th October 1896 20 2933 – 2952
776 19th September 1896 10 1944 – 1953
815 21st November 1896 20 2993 – 3012
823 26th December 1896 20 3013 – 3032
827 20th February 1897 20 3033 – 3052
829 3rd April 1897 30 3053 – 3082
847 6th November 1897 30 3083 – 3112
851 19th March 1898 20 3113 – 3132
854 25th December 1897 10 3183 – 3192
896 22nd October 1898 10 1954 - 1959, 1969,1971 – 1973
915 26th August 1899 10 3193 – 3202
949 8th September 1900 15 3203 – 3217
962 2nd February 1901 10 1230 - 1233, 1939 - 1943, 1960
963 9th March 1901 10 1222 - 1225, 1227 - 1229, 1269, 1270, 1968
977 22nd March 1902 20 1188 - 1192, 1184, 1189, 1202, 1203, 1205, 1208 - 1211, 1214 - 1217, 1219, 1220
1004 25th October 1902 10 1172 - 1173, 1179, 1180 - 1182, 1184 - 1187

During World War II coaches were painted overall brown and although the Great Western Railway’s distinctive chocolate and cream livery was restored when the war ended, it was clearly not a priority to repaint older stock. It is worth noting the number of compartments in this coach labelled for Smoking, with only one compartment marked with the triangular No-Smoking sign. The railway companies reflected the changes in social habits of the population and introduced a greater proportion of smoking compartments in their passenger stock in the 1920’s. By 1947, most of these old clerestory coaches had been withdrawn from normal passenger duties, but a number remained in service in workman trains and some also found use as temporary parcels vans.

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 AEL421.

Robert Ferris

back