GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Shed: gwrt2990

Great Western Railway Streamlined Diesel Railcar No 3 with engine covers removed in the Tyseley Repair Shop on a Saturday in 1935.

Following the success of the prototype No 1, the Great Western Railway immediately ordered six more similar Diesel Railcars from AEC in February 1934 and the first three of these (No 2, 3 and 4) were delivered in June. These three diesel railcars cost of £6,541 each and had two propulsion units instead of the single unit on the prototype. These were 130 bhp diesel engines placed below the internal floor level with each engine powering separate bogies - one through a gear box and the other driving directly. Two 45 gallon fuel tanks sufficient for 450 to 500 miles were provided. Inside there was accommodation for forty-four seats for passengers and a cafeteria, as they were intended for long distance express services. On Monday 9th July 1934 a service between Snow Hill and Cardiff commenced with intermediate stops at Gloucester and Newport. The 117 mile journey took 150 minutes and a supplement of 2s/6d was charged. The weekday timetable was as follows and required two Railcars, the third was kept at Tyseley as a spare:

Robert Ferris

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