GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Moor Street Station: gwrms1730

An official photograph appeared in the Great Western Railway Magazine of June 1911, depicting the new four coach sets’ for the Birmingham Suburban Services in brown lake livery. Each set comprised two composite non-corridor ‘toplight’ coaches, with a brake third non-corridor ‘toplight’ coach at each end (see 'New Coaches for Suburban Services' article)

The eight composite coaches were built to Lot 1187 (diagram E89), completed on 13th May 1911. Each had four first-class and five third-class compartments. They were numbered; 6596, 6597, 6598, 6604, 6662, 6663, 6664 and 6665. The eight brake third coaches were built to Lot 1188 (diagram D49), completed on 13th May 1911. Each had six third-class compartments, a guard compartment and a large luggage compartment. They were numbered; 2388, 2389, 2390, 2391, 2392, 2393, 2394 and 2395.

In the Summer of 1911 two sets of the new local coupled trains were known to have worked the following weekday services:

These coach sets were believed to have been transferred to the London Division in 1931. Brake third No 2389 was photographed at Banbury in 1948 as part of Divisional Set No 5. All these coaches survived in their sets until condemned in April 1955.

Robert Ferris

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