GCR carriages - matchboard non-gangwayed

Divided between ordinary types (aimed at London suburban services) and lavatory versions (for longer distance services further north). The original designs (up to 1919) were 60':

1 - Introduction
2 - Ordinary types:
    3rd
    3rd brake
    composite
3 - Lavatory types:
    lavatory 3rd brake
    lavatory composite
    lavatory brake composite

From 1920-23 the designs were reduced to 56' and are covered separately.

1 - Introduction

These secondary carriages built from 1911 lasted well into BR days and there are two problem areas:

- The titles to the Diagrams used the letter "O" as an abbreviation for ORDINARY, a term much used for non-gangwayed secondary carriages (it did not mean "Open")!

- Among Hugh Longworth's many mistakes in "BR Pre-Nationalisation Coaching Stock Vol.1", he calls this stock (and all other 1911+ matchboard carriages) "Barnums". This is wrong: that nickname only applied to the majestic Open carriages introduced in 1910 whose novel design features were unique and not repeated in the matchboard stock that followed in 1911. Longworth's mistakes are already being copied and causing confusion. All I can do is make readers aware and that I'm not the only one to find extensive faults in this book.

Later developments

- from 1919 - armoured ends with anti-collision fenders.
- from 1920 - length reduced to 56'
- composites layout changed re number of compartments and their position

As if that wasn't complicated enough, as the years passed many 1st Class compartments were regraded to 3rd class so Fs and Cs became Cs and Ts - which was common across the LNER. There's a bonus here for modellers because it means that a kit can be finished in different guises.

2 - The ordinary non-lavatory designs

The non-lavatory stock was intended to modernise Marylebone's Outer Suburban service, the lavatory versions further north between Nottingham-Leicester and Manchester-Cleethorpes (see part 3).

Third

Most numerous were these two Diagrams:

Built	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	-----------	-------------------------
1911-13	3B5	5038
1919	3B6	5039

Most were built to the first Diagram (31). When more were added in 1919 (4), they had armoured ends and anti-collision fenders

Diagram 3B5

The drawing on the Diagram shows the design well, a high capacity concept with ten compartments - BT(10) - which seated 120 passengers and was to be unique on the LNER. Note the generous 10'6" bogies, a significant advance on the 8ft bogies used previously with shorter carriages. Leg room, however, at 5'10 1/2" was so-so, arguably reflecting the intended main use of these carriages.

Running numbers were:

159, 247, 269, 300, 322, 326, 328, 355-6-7, 361, 375, 378, 393, 459, 483, 491-2, 516, 523, 526, 640, 648, ,652, 654, 663, 801-2-3-4.

Repaired Diagram, author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

This is a pretty well-known picture of 9N (LNER A5) No 450 in 1912 heading an Outer Suburban train north of Marylebone. It's not generally realised that this is a train of London Suburban carriages in which modernisation has begun by replacing a single carriage - the all-3rd - by a recently built matchboard version to Dia. 3B5. Photo: Real Photographs, author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

A5 No 5158 (NEA) leaves Marylebone station c1933. Based on the sun angle the time is c6pm and the best fit with the 1935 CWB is with the 6pm (SO) Outer Suburban to Amersham, when it was rostered for a 4-set with an extra 3rd. The whole train cannot alas be seen but there is an extra 3rd behind the loco and possibly another one behind it. The carriages in view are:

T	3rd	56'	GCR/LNER hybrid	-
T	3rd	60'	GCR matchboard	3B5
BT	3rd brake	56'	GCR matchboard	-
F	1st	56'	GCR matchboard	-
Rem not visible...

It is hard to tell exactly what was captured here. An OS 4-set would have been (BT,F,T,BT) but it could also have been (T,BT,F,BT) in which case the single rostered strengthener is the GCR/LNER "hybrid" 3rd behind the loco.

The 56' carriages had been introduced in 1911 and I have not yet worked up, nor GCR/LNER hybrids of 1923-24.

Note in the background the D.120-clone 4w passenger brake van built for the GC Section, and a 6w milk tank wagon for the Rossmore Rd. dairy.

Click on the image for an enlargement

A fine picture taken on Friday 6th July 1956 with an express at York headed by A3 No 60081 Shotover. The matchboard 3rd was evidently recently out of the carriage works at York; it would serve for another ten years or so. The livery was probably crimson and it may have been attached as a strengthener, or to get it home. The same may apply to the second carriage, a Gresley steel-panelled semi-corridor lavatory composite. The rest of the train is led by a gangwayed 3rd brake.

For modellers, strengthening of trains like this is easy to do and it breaks up the string of sausages look of a train, but is rarely tried. The main thing is that older carriages were common. Photo: Author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

3rd brake

There were five Diagrams, a mixture of conventional and lavatory versions:

Built	Type	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	-----------	-----------	-------------------------
1911	BT(6)	3A7	5086
1919	BT(6)	3A8	5087
1912-13	BT(7)	3A9	5088
-----------	--------	-----	------
1911-12	BTL(6)	4A3	5094
1919	BTL(6)	4A4	5095

As can be seen, the BT(6) was the most common version introduced in 1911 and built again in 1919. The slightly larger capacity BT(7) was an addition of 1912-13 and in practice, quite numerous.

The more luxurious lavatory version, a relatively rare type in the UK and intended for Ordinary Passenger or longer distance Outer Suburban traffic, was built at the same time.

Armoured ends were fitted to two of the Diagrams of 1919 (3A8 and 4A4).

Diagram 3A9

The BT(6) type was the most common one and I've chosen this Diagram of a BT(7) because it's not too different in style and because it shows well in two train pictures. Built between 1912-13, all the standard Robinson features can be seen with the normal 3rd class compartment width of 6ft and guard's duckets on both sides.

Running numbers were: 653, 656, 857-866 (12)

Repaired Diagram, authors collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

Class 2 No 708 in 1912 at a time when the class had been displaced from principal expresses, many being at Sheffield Neepsend, for example, and, this loco at Colwick. It's hauling a matchboard 4-set but was captioned in GC Remembered as a "semi-fast", a common cop-out when seeing secondary carriages behind a loco carrying "express" lights. They were in fact being used for an excursion, details to follow.

I might add that I have another photograph of a secondary service with a 6-set with 50' non-gangwayed clerestory carriages behind a Class 9K 4-4-2T (LNER C13) that is also carrying Express lights and it seems that at this time, the Ordinary Passenger service between Nottingham-Leicester, despite stopping at all stations along the way, was presented as an Express to aid competition with the parallel service provided by the MR. The photographer was unable to resolve this and, like many others when faced with an apparent mismatch, wrongly described the train on the back of the print as "semi-fast". I've covered this ground elsewhere and that the 1960s stopping service which carried express lights was also misappropriated this designation by enthusiasts. The term "semi-fast" had a genuine operational meaning which I shall be covering as a dedicated subject.

The carriages show what a recently introduced train of Ordinary matchboard stock could look like (strengthened on the rear by an older 50ft clerestory). All the matchboards in this view were 60' and built 1911-12, and the formation didn't offer any lavatories:

BT	3rd brake	3A9
C	1st/3rd composite	3L5
T	3rd	3B5
BT	3rd brake	3A9
T	3rd	50' clerestory

Both brakes ends are the BT(7) type. Photo: author's collection, blank on the back but for the location and date. It looks like a Bradshaw picture).

Click on the image for an enlargement

An unusual picture, perhaps, but a fine view of a BT(7) in service. It's early LNER days and Neasden's D10 "Director" No 431c Edward A. Beazley has been put on an Ordinary Passenger (a Neasden Top Link unbalanced working?) and is about to call at Rothley.

The main formation is a 4-set of London Suburban 50' carriages now earning its keep further north (probably BT, F, T, BT) and the more modern matchboard brake has been added to make the formation up to 5 carriages. Photo: author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

Passing "near Rugby" on 2nd April 1929 is D11 No 5505 Ypres with the 1.20pm Ordinary Passenger from Leicester-Marylebone, an unbalanced working for Neasden's Top Link. It's an interesting example of misuse of the term "local" for a train which ran 70-odd miles between cities and returned vans to the Capital from overnight workings such as the "2.32am Down Newspaper" and, on this occasion, came to 9 vehicles, bogie, 6w and 4w. Photo: Gordon Coltas

BT	3rd brake	60' matchboard
F	1st	50' London Suburban
T	3rd	56' GCR/LNER hybrid
BT	3rd brake	60' matchboard
----
BG	bogie van	50/56' matchboard
4	assorted vans

Click on the image for an enlargement

An enlargement with, alas, a loss of sharpness, showing the three types of carriage described above. The 60' 3rd brakes show well and are described below.

The 50' London Suburban 1st is both the shortest and the oldest carriage in the train (1906) and has been retained because wear and tear in the class was lower. The hybrid next to it was built in 1924 when Dukinfield turned out the final batch of Robinson carriages and Gresley had the sides panelled Doncaster-style. In short, this train comprises three different lengths to three different designs, an awfully common feature of secondary services. Only a pity that the GC Section was loathe to provide lavatories.

Composite

There were four Diagrams of the basic composite without lavatories:

Built	Length	Layout	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	---------	----------------	-----------	-------------------------
1911	60'	FFFFTTTTT	3L4	5121
1912-13	60'	TTFFFFTTT	3L5	5122
1919	60'	TTFFFFTTT	3L6	5123
1920	56'	FFFFTTTTT	3L7	5124

Note how the initial design was superseded by placing the 3rd Class over the bogies and the 1st Class in between where the ride was better, but the old style came came back in 1920 (when the length was also reduced).

The last two Diagrams of 1919 and 1920 had armoured ends.

Diagram 3L5

This is the composite in the 4-set behind the Class 2 4-4-0 above.

This 60' composite was built in 1912-3 and the drawing above is restored from a faint original. They had running numbers:
223, 256, 651, 659, 843, 844 (plus prefix "5" in LNER and BR days).

A similar one was built in 1919, No 1239, but with armoured ends to Diagram 3L6.

A faint note states that at least one was declassed in 1941 to all-3rd class, new No 51973. Repaired Diagram, Photo: Author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

Click on the image for an enlargement

In this charming view from Wrexham on 13th August 1950, N5 No 69349 waits with a secondary 4-set to Hawarden Bridge with a train of assorted types going back to around 1905-15.

BT	50' London suburban
T	50' clerestory
C	60' matchboard
BT	50' London suburban

For the 1st class passengers, a 60ft matchboard carriage was provided, the most modern one in the train, or the least old, if you like! See Diagram above. The barely visible 3rd brake at the far end is inside out. Photo: Author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

3 - The lavatory designs

Were not as numerous and not intended for suburban services but longer distance secondary services where gangwayed stock was not justified. Some ran under Ordinary Passenger lights while, others, under Express lights and are covered under Secondary Expresses. There were five possible types but only three were produced:

BTL - ten built
  CL - six built
BCL - ten built

The designs were more sophisticated than before and all the passengers could reach a lavatory.

Lavatory 3rd brake

Introduced in 1911, this was a superb semi-corridor design of a kind that only tends to be recognised in much later Gresley designs for the LNER. A simple policy had been to place the odd lavatory between some of the compartments with access from the adjoining compartment, which meant that only those passengers could use the facilities. A better approach was to place more than one set of such lavatories in a carriage. Better still was to provide a corridor which served a lavatory at one end of the carriage (NER 52') or a semi-open layout with easy access to the lavatories (GNR 58'1 1/2" stock). A particularly neat approach was taken by Robinson on the GCR with twin lavvies in the centre of the carriage, each served by its own, handed corridor.

In the 1920s, Gresley adopted this semi-corridor layout for his LNER 51'1 1/2" composites and Thompson followed suit. Those carriages became quite popular In the West Riding conurbation and when the less salubrious DMU arrived, they were switched to non-gangwayed excursions, to Wetherby Races, for example, with many examples in a train.

The GCR design was the precursor, when in 1911 Robinson introduced the 60' all-3rd class carriage with a brake end:

Built	Type	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	-----------	-----------	-------------------------
1911-12	BTL(6)	4A3	5094
1919	BTL(6)	4A4	5095

Diagram 4A4 was the same but for the armoured ends.

Running numbers were: 178, 206, 267, 317, 667-9, 690-2. Prefix "5" by the LNER and in BR days, prefix and suffix "E". Repaired Diagram author's collection.

Click on the image for an enlargement

A grand view of ex-GCR C4 No 1089 (NEA) leaving Marylebone with a secondary service made up with four non-gangwayed carriages - a London Suburban leading and three Robinson 60' carriages including a BTL on the rear. Three of the matchboard carriages are carrying destination boards. It appears to be the 4.30pm express to Mansfield, which was not very long lived and by 1925 (by which time this C4 had been renumbered) had been cut back to Woodford. Photo: Author's collection.

A closer view of the carriages. Click on the image for an enlargement

BT	3rd brake	50' London Suburban
CL	1st/3rd lavatory	60' Robinson
T	3rd	60' Robinson
BTL	3rd lavatory brake	60' Robinson

Note how the BTL compares with the CL in which the semi-corridor concept was not utilised and three pairs of lavatories were provided.

Secondary stock with lavatories was so useful that in 1938 the LNER transferred two ex-GCR BTLs to the GN Section and this is one of them in July 1955 at Cambridge, behind an ex-GER tender loco, the train comprising an ex-GCR BTL No E5689E and a Gresley CL leading an unidentified "GE Branch Set". One of the semi-corridors can be seen through the windows. Photo: Lens of Sutton.

Click on the image for an enlargement

Lavatory composite

There were two diagrams:

Built	Length	Layout	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	---------	-----------------------	-----------	-------------------------
1911	60'	TT-L-FF-L-FF-L-T	4L9	5134
1920	60'	TT-L-FF-L-FF-L-T	4L10	5135

Six were built, the later diagram a one-off with armoured ends.

Click on the image for an enlargement

The drawing from the Diagram of the GCR 60' lavatory composite shows what a well thought out design it was with four 1st class compartments and three 3rd - CL(4,3) in which all the passengers had access.to the lavatories. The aim was to place all the 1st class compartments in the middle of the carriage for the smoothest ride and the 3rd class over the bogies. This led to a complicated design with three pairs of lavatories, a total of 6 altogether. Later designs would be better with only two lavatories. Author's collection.

In service

Click on the image for an enlargement

This example is decribed at length under Secondary services (see link below). In brief, B17 No 2840 Somerleyton Hall [Gorton] is at Guide Bridge on Tuesday 19th September 1933 with the 12.40pm from Manchester London Road-Cleethorpes. Photo: author's collection, R.D. Pollard, LNER PRO TP/259.

BTL	3rd brake	ex-GCR 50' clerestory with lavatory
T	3rd	ex-GCR 60' matchboard
CL	1st/3rd	ex-GCR 60' matchboard with lavatory
BTL	3rd brake	ex-GCR 50' clerestory with lavatory
------	-------------------------------	-----------------------------------------------
BCK	1st/3rd brake	Gresley 61'6"	to Hull Paragon
TK	3rd	Gresley 61'6"	to Hull Paragon
------	-------------------------------	-----------------------------------------------
B	4w passenger brake van	D.120 clone

Lavatory composite brake

Many of this type had been built earlier, in 50' clerestory and London Suburban styles, but there was only one matchboard design and it was built quite early, in 1912. The interior format was similar to the BTL but more lavish. Two 1st class compartments were placed in the middle with pairs of lavatories on either side, and 3rd class compartments at each end with a semi-corridor. Both lavatory brakes displayed modern thinking for secondary services between towns and cities and they all lasted into the 1950s.

Built	Length	Layout	Diagram	LNER Code (1938)
------	---------	----------------	-----------	-------------------------
1912	60'	BTTLFFLTT	3H8	5154

Ten were built: Nos 44,42,56,60,122,128,145,151,203,205.

There is no record of them being used at the Marylebone end but they are known to have served around Leicester in 3-sets: BCL,T,BCL:

9P (LNER B3) No 1164 Earl Beatty was captured at Rothley c1922. Despite appearances, this was actually a Leicester-based Ordinary Passenger 3-set which shuttled up and down the line and, last trip of the day, went to Cleethorpes. The next morning it ran back as a Cleethorpes-Leicester express, which is what the photograph shows. The 3-carriage formation was:. Photo: Author's collection.

BCL	1st/3rd lavatory brake	60' Robinson
T	3rd	60' Robinson
BCL	1st/3rd lavatory brake	60' Robinson

Click on the image for an enlargement

A 1930s view as C4 No 6085 heads south from Rugby Central with an Ordinary Passenger and the same formation as above, in front of which a strengthener has been placed. The same type of ex-NER 3rd was also cascaded to the King's Cross district.

T	3rd	52' ex-NER
BCL	1st/3rd lavatory brake	60' Robinson
T	3rd	60' Robinson
BCL	1st/3rd lavatory brake	60' Robinson

Related links:

GCR carriages - matchboard gangwayed: are here.