GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Whitlocks End Halt: gwrwe1366

Picture showing a Birmingham to Stratford upon Avon local passenger train passing through Whitlock’s End Halt in March 1939. Whitlock’s End Halt was authorised on 24th March 1936 at an estimated cost of £819 and opened on 6th July 1936. The locomotive is GWR 2-6-2T large prairie tank No 5166, which was built at Swindon Works under Lot No 259 in November 1930. This class served their time on regular suburban passenger services outside the London area, with their fast acceleration and good adhesion they were ideal for this work. No 5166 was allocated to Chester shed in 1934, but in BR days following the advent of diesel multiple units, the class was displaced from passenger duties in the late 1950’s. No 5166 was withdrawn from Severn Tunnel Junction shed in May 1961 and finally cut up at Swindon in September of that year.

The four coach passenger set is labelled ‘Birmingham Division Train No.31' and was one of forty-eight four coach B sets that operated the West Midlands suburban services during that period. This particular set consisted of 58ft 2in long by 9ft wide non corridor bow ended stock on 7ft Collett type bogies and was built in October 1927 under Lots 1376 and 1377. The majority of these coaches survived in suburban passenger service until they were condemned in 1962. The coach set tare weight was 110 tons and the individual carriages that comprised Birmingham Division Train 31 were: Brake third coach No 4963 (Diagram D98) - 6 third class compartments; Composite coach No 6331 (Diagram E131) - 4 first & 5 third class compartments; Composite coach No 6344 (Diagram E131) - 4 first & 5 third class compartments; Brake third coach No 4964 (Diagram D98) - 6 third class compartments.

Robert Ferris

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