More GWR Corridor Toplights

[John Candy]

The test prints for four new GWR panelled "Toplight" carriages have just completed.

GWR 57ft Toplight Tri-composite Brake (dia. E83 LOT 1138 built 1907)
Fifteen carriages built with two each of first, second and third class compartments but the seconds were soon re-classified as third class. The two third class compartments were adjacent to the guard's/luggage compartment, the two first class being located between the thirds and the two seconds. A lavatory compartment was situated at each extremity of the length (unusual in that the lavatory at the outer end was separated from the passenger section by the luggage section).
Running numbers were 7533 to 7547 and they lasted into the mid-1950's.
They ran on a "Bars 1" type underframe with 8ft "American" bogies at 42ft 6ins centres.



GWR 57ft Toplight Composite (dia. E88 LOT 1171 built 1911)
Diagram E88 covered three LOTS but the other two differed in body panelling and underframe design. LOT 1171 ran on 9ft "Fishbelly" bogies from new with a "Bars I" type underframe
This LOT was numbered 7738 to 7747 and they lasted into the mid-1950's.



GWR 70ft Toplight All Third (dia. C29 LOT 1208 built 1912)
N.B.  LOT 1208 covers Nos. 2539 to 2548 only (diagram C29 covered three LOTS in total but the other two differed in body panelling and underframe design).
LOT 1208 all ran on American 9ft bogies from new with a "Bars II" type underframe until withdrawal in the mid-1950's.



GWR 56ft Toplight All Third (dia. C30 LOT 1167 built 1910) No,2422 to 2435
An 8 compartment corridor carriage of toplight panelled design which lasted well into BR days (the last condemned October 1961) and No.2426 is preserved on the Severn Valley Railway. Similar in appearance to the later 57ft version, the widths of the passenger compartments were shorter by 1.5inches.
They ran on "Bars I" type underframe with "American" 8ft bogies.




The photos show both sides of each type with (below) enlargements of the ends of a "Bars I" pattern body and  "Bars II" type, showing the differences in panelling and toplight arrangements.




These complement the dia. F14 57ft Toplight single-ended slip coach previously released at Christmas.

[IanT]

That's a lot of work John.

Your model 'portfolio' keeps growing. Thank you and very well done.

Regards,


IanT