RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 12 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12 Could l ask the help of the more knowledgeable GWR modellers on the forum please? I ve been looking at early BR period photos of trains on the Ffestiniog branch, and noted that in the early BR years corridor coaches were still in use. I have been trying to identify the coaches in the two example photos l ve attached both taken in 1953. Unfortunately they are very poor enlargements so proper identification may not be possible, however in both cases l believe them to be a Collett "Sunshine" stock vehicle and an earlier Collett Brake of some description? Can anyone confirm my assumptions please? Thanks in advance Bob C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted October 12 Share Posted October 12 The Brake Compo in the August photo looks to be a 'toplight' type .... the brake in the May shot - probably also a Compo - is a later high-waisted type : looking almost as poorly-proportioned in a two-colour livery as some aircon MkIIs on the network today ! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted October 12 Share Posted October 12 Top photo E148 Brake Composite and C70 Third. Bottom photo C73 Third and, I think, a 57' Toplight Brake(?) Composite though there were several diagrams of these. By this time it may if it had panelling originally (and not all Toplights did) then some or all may have been removced or been plated over. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted October 12 Share Posted October 12 (edited) 20 hours ago, BernardTPM said: ... Brake(?) Composite ... The original caption reckons it was a Brake Compo ..... after all the guard's got to ride somewhere ! Edited October 13 by Wickham Green too spilling 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 12 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12 Thanks gents, your help isnvery much appreciated, looks like l can put my Mainline and Hornby Collett coaches back into storage then! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnofwessex Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 Why I wonder is a two coach branch train in the early 50's formed of corridor stock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 Simple. In the 'Good Old Days', coaching stock was cascaded as it got older. They didn't throw things away if they could help it. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 Clearly corridor stock was available then ( though it wasn't later ) ......... and I think passengers probably preferred bigger windows to view 25 miles of glorious scenery - and some would welcome access to lavatorial facilities during their hour or more on board. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted October 13 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13 Not unusual in South Wales right up to the early 60s; Newport-Brecon, Neath-Brecon, and Neath-Treherbert being examples. A feature of these services was longish journey times (you could get to Paddington quicker from Newport than you could Brecon, only 35 miles away) and gangwayed stock with lavatory facilities was preferred. Not cascaded, either; new Hawksworth coaches were used. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted October 13 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13 Never seen it in authoritative print anywhere, but I recall being told during my own railway career back in the 70s that any journey of more than two hours would be given gangwayed stock for lavatory access. And South Wales runs such as those mentioned, along with others like the Mid-Wales Brecon-Moat Lane route and the S&DJ Highbridge branch were slow with frequent stops and fairly long as branches went. The Bala jc.-Blaenau Ffestiniog route was not suitable for high speed running because of it's severe gradients and curvature, though non-gangwayed stock was certainly used in the mid-50s and up to closure. Had these services survived beyond the 1962 cull and Beeching in '63, they would no doubt have been operated by gangwayed dmus, the 'cross country' 119s and 120s, though how one of these would have coped with the 'Five Mile Bank' up to Torpantau or the climb of the N&B route over the flank of Fan Gyhirych at Cray is debatable... perhaps power twins such as were used on the Central Wales route would have been an answer. Or a lower-geared version devised; a maximum speed of 50mph would have been acceptable IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 23 hours ago, Wickham Green too said: The original caption reckons it was a Brake Compo ..... after all the guard's got to ride somewhere ! I was thinking it should be, but what's visible of the arrangement of doors, hinges and toilet windows is a little indistinct with no obvious sign of a luggage area, hence the caution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 Ah Well .... them Westerners - being individual as always - differentiated between Brake Compos ( Thirds etc.) and Van Compos ( Thirds etc.) so stowage for luggage, prams and the likes may not have been generous ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 I think I've found a Toplight Brake Composite that could fit that image, having a toilet style window each end: Diagram E82 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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