GCR carriages - matchboard non-gangwayed
This topic now has the following sections:
Introduction 60' 3rd brake 60' lavatory 3rd brake 60' composite 60' third
Introduction
This is quite a big subject, about secondary carriages built from 1911 that lasted well into BR days. Please note that 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")!
Described wrongly in "BR Pre-Nationalisation Coaching Stock Vol.1" by Hugh Longworth as "Barnums", they were initially intended for Marylebone Outer Suburban service and there were 5 basic types: F, C, T, BC, BT. Among them were variations in:
- length of 60' and then 56' - layout of composites re number of compartments and their position - lavatory versions - armoured ends with anti-collision fenders.
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.
Class 2 No 870 in 1912 at a time when the class had been displaced from principal expresses, many being at Sheffield Neepsend, for example, and, like older 4-4-0s all over the country, were given a new role in longer distance secondary services. The train is passing Abbey Lane Sidings just north of Leicester Central and is believed to be the 12.32pm (SO) from Nottingham.
This was an Ordinary Passenger but it's carrying Express lights. I have now found a similar picture, of 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, carried Express lights for PR reasons. Competition with the parallel service provided by the MR may have been a factor. 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 (only a pity about the older 50ft clerestory strengthener on the rear)! All the matchboards in this view were 60' and built 1911-12, and the formation didn't offer a single lavatory. Then again, the end to end journey only took 50 minutes, with five stations along the way scheduled for stops of only 1-2 minutes each:
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 (and a relatively modern print, blank on the back but for the date. It looks like a Bradshaw picture).
Click on the image for an enlargement
60' 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
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
60' lavatory 3rd brake
I've already described the conventional BT(6) below, now we can look at a superb lavatory version. It came to be recognised that carriages for Outer Suburban service needed lavatories but the question was how to provide them? A simple ploy was 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. It was introduced in 1911.
In LNER days the concept was picked up by Gresley in 51'1 1/2" composites, duly copied by Thompson, and called "semi-corridor". These carriages became quite popular In the West Riding and when the less salubrious DMU arrived, they were put in non-gangwayed excursions, to Wetherby Races, for example, with many examples in a train.
The GCR design was the precursor when Robinson introduced normal service carriages with a radiussed matchboard tumblehome (not to be confused the less elegant excursion opens nicknamed "Barnums"), in this case a 60' all-3rd class carriage, with a brake end. 10 were built to GCR Diagram 4A3 between 1911-12 and two more in 1919 with armoured ends (4A4).
The BTL to GCR Diagram 4A3 (given the Hollerith Code 5094 just before WW2) with the neat semi-corridor layout. The genesis of the LNER design is evident. 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 composite |
60' Robinson |
T |
3rd |
60' Robinson |
BTL |
3rd lavatory brake |
60' Robinson |
Note how the BTL compares with the CL which has three sets of lavatories.
Secondary stock with lavatories was so useful that it lasted well into BR days. In this view from July 1955 at Cambridge, behind an ex-GER tender loco, the train comprises 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
60' composite
There were four Diagrams of this simple 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
60' Third
The most numerous type of which there were 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 1918 (4), they had armoured ends and anti-collision fenders
Diagram 3B5
The drawing on the Diagram shows the design well, a high capacity concept 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 the formation of London Suburban carriages has had the 3rd in the body of the train modernised by a recently built matchboard version to Dia. 3B5. Photo: Real Photographs, author's collection.
Click on the image for an enlargement
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 (BC, T, BC) with a 60' 3rd in the middle. Photo: 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
To be continued...
GCR London Suburban carriages: are here.
