GWR autocoach explained

The GWR autocoach (or auto-trailer) is a type of coach that was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of the steam locomotive. This eliminates the need to run the engine round to the other end of the coach at the end of each journey.

When one or more autocoaches are connected to a suitably equipped steam locomotive, the combination is known as an autotrain, or, historically, a railmotor train. A steam locomotive provided with the equipment to be used as an autotrain is said to be auto-fitted.

The autocoach is the forerunner of the driving trailer used with push–pull trains.

Design features

A locomotive fitted with additional control equipment is used to power the autotrain. When running 'autocoach first', the regulator is operated by a linkage to a rotating shaft running the length of the locomotive, passing below the cab floor. This engages (via a telescopic coupling) with another shaft running the full length below the floor of the autocoach. This shaft is turned by a second regulator lever in the cab of the autocoach. (See photograph sequence below.) The driver can operate the regulator, brakes and whistle from the far (cab) end of the autocoach; the fireman remains on the locomotive and (in addition to firing) also controls the valve gear settings. The driver can also warn of the train's approach using a large mechanical gong, prominently mounted high on the cab end of the autocoach, which is operated by stamping on a pedal on the floor of the cab. The driver, guard and fireman communicate with each other by an electric bell system.^[1]

In operation

If more than one autocoach was used, the locomotive would usually be marshalled between the coaches, as 'play' in the control linkages could otherwise make operation difficult. This arrangement was not always possible where turntables were not convenient for turning coaches and hence up to two autocoaches could follow or lead a locomotive with cab ends away from the locomotive.^[2]

Many GWR suburban services around Plymouth were formed of fixed autotrain formations of four autocoaches, two each side of the locomotive with cabs leading in each direction. When these were introduced in 1906, experiments were made to harmonise the appearance of the locomotive in the middle of the train by cutting down the side tanks and encasing the entire locomotive in a square bodyshell of the same basic design, height and width as the coaches, complete with 'windows' and the same chocolate/cream paint livery. Two 2021 Class and two 517 Class engines were modified in this way.^[3]

Accidents and incidents

• On 15 April 1923, carriage No. 70 formed a passenger train hauled by locomotive No. 215. The train was in a head-on collision with a freight train at Curry Rivel, Somerset due to a signalman's error. Nine people were injured.^[4]
• On 16 November 1937, an empty train in a siding at the eastern end of Ealing Broadway station (between platforms 2 and 3) was waiting to be called into the platform to form the next service to when the driver started the train in thick fog without noticing that the points were not set for the platform nor that the signals were against him, and the auto-trailer crashed into the signal box. This auto-trailer, no. 211 of Diagram A³¹, had been converted in August 1935 from steam rail motor no. 81 (Diagram Q¹); it was repaired after the accident, and was not withdrawn until March 1959.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Fleet list

Fleet list

Year	Diagram	Lot no.	Fleet no.	Length	Notes	Preserved examples
1904	A	1055	1	59feet
1904	B	1055	2	70feet
1905	B, V, W, X, A4[9]	1081	3–6	70feet
1905	C	1087	7, 8	59feet
1905	D, A11, A12	1090	9, 10	70feet
1905	E, F	1097	11–13	70feet
1905	G, G1, H	1097	14–17	52feet
1906	J, J1	1102	19–24	59feet
1905	K, K1, Y, A5	1103	25–28	70feet
1906	L	1108	29–34	70feet
1906	M, M1, A8	1108	18, 35	54feet
1907	N	1126	36–41	59feet		38 at the Telford Steam Railway
1906	L	1127	42–47	70feet
1907	O, S	1128	48	70feet	Experimental
1907	P	1130	49–52	70feet
1908	L	1141	53–58	70feet
1908	L	1143	59–70	70feet
1909	Q	1160	71, 72	70feet
1909	R	1161	73, 74	70feet
1911	T	1190	75–80	70feet
1912	U	1198	81–92	70feet		92 at Didcot Railway Centre, used with the steam railmotor
1913	Q	1224	93–95	70feet
1913	R	1225	96–98	70feet
1915	Z	—	99–104	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 3–8
1917	A6	—	105, 106	57feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 1, 2
1916–19	A7	—	107–112	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 9–14
1919–20	A9	—	113–124	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 17–28
1920–23	A10	—	125, 128–133	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 29, 32, 31, 33–36
1920	A13	—	126	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 59
1920	A14	—	127	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 60
1923	A15	—	136, 137	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 46, 47
1923	A17	—	134	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 43
1923	A18	—	135	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 44
1923	A19	—	138–140	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 50–52
1928	A23	—	146	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 38
1928	A24	—	147	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 41
1928	A25	—	148	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 45
1928	A26	—	149	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 57
1928	A29	—	150–153	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 61, 63, 67, 68
1928	A26	—	154–157	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 85, 87, 89, 90
1928	A26	—	158	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 99
1929	A27	1394	159–170	59feet		163 at the South Devon Railway 167 at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway 169 at the West Somerset Railway
1930	A28	1410	171–180	62feet		174 at the Llangollen Railway 178 at the Severn Valley Railway
1930	A26	1432	181–185	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 54, 56, 84, 95, 94
1930	A29	1432	186	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 62
1933	A33	1480	187–196	62feet		190 at the Didcot Railway Centre
1934	A23	1511	197, 198	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 39, 40
1934	A26	1511	199, 200, 206	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 53, 58, 86
1934	A29	1511	201	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 69
1934	A31	1511	202–205	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 73, 74, 82, 83
1935	A31	1521	207–209	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 75, 78, 79
1936	A26	1542	210, 212–215	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 91, 93, 96–98	212 restored as a steam railmotor at the Didcot Railway Centre
1936	A31	1542	211	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 81
1936	A29	1545	216–218	70feet	Rebuilt from railmotors 64, 66, 72
1936	A31	1542	219	59feet	Rebuilt from railmotor 76
1938	A34	1600	1668–1671	57feet	Auto-fitted Brake Thirds
1951	A38	1736	222–234	64feet	232 was modified as a first class saloon on the Dartmouth Steam Railway 233 was modified as a test coach by British Rail (see below)	225, 228 and 233 at the South Devon Railway 231 at the Didcot Railway Centre 232 at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
1951	A39	1736	220	64feet
1951	A40	1736	221	64feet
1953	A43	1766	235–244	64feet		238 Chaffinch on the Severn Valley Railway 240 on the South Devon Railway
1953	A44	—	245–256		Rebuilt from Brake Thirds 5491/95, 4015/16/05/19, 4343, 5871, 4358, 5875, 4351/45

Auto-fitted locomotives

Several Great Western locomotive classes included examples equipped to work in autotrains at different times. These included:

Type	Total	Introduced	Preserved examples	Comments
455 Class 2-4-0T	40About 40	1869	–	Some fitted with auto gear after 1905[10]
517 Class 0-4-2T	86	1868	–	Some fitted with auto gear after 1905
645 Class 0-6-0PT	1	1872	-	No. 1522 fitted in April 1931; withdrawn November 1937[11]
1076 Class 0-6-0ST/PT	21	1870	–	Some fitted with auto gear after 1905
1854 Class 0-6-0PT	1	1890	-	No. 1728 auto-fitted at some point in the 1920s; withdrawn February 1932
2021 Class 0-6-0ST/PT	27	1897	-	Some fitted with auto gear after 1905
4575 Class 2-6-2T	15	1927	5572	Certain locomotives of this class fitted with auto gear in 1953
4800 Class 0-4-2T	75	1932	1420, 1442, 1450, 1466	Auto-fitted version of 5800 Class later renumbered as 1400 Class
5400 Class 0-6-0PT	25	1930	–	All auto-fitted
6400 Class 0-6-0PT	40	1932	6412, 6430, 6435	Smaller wheel version of 5400 Class, all auto-fitted

Further reading

• Book: Lewis, John . 2004 . Great Western Steam Railmotors: and their services . Wild Swan Publications . 1-874103-96-8 .
• Web site: GW Autocoach 163 – History and Specifications . 163Autocoach.co.uk . GWR Autocoach 163 Trust . https://web.archive.org/web/20110902203831/http://www.163autocoach.co.uk/history.htm . 2 September 2011 .

External links

• West Somerset Railway – Photo gallery: Restoration of autocoach no 169 – includes many pictures of the innards of an autocoach

Notes and References

1. Book: Lewis, John . 1991 . Great Western Auto Trailers - Part One: Pre-Grouping Vehicles . Wild Swan . Didcot . 0-906867-99-1 . 11–13 .
2. Book: Kingdom . Anthony R . Lang . Mike . 2004 . The Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead Railway . 1-873029-09-8 . ARK Publications (Railways) . 32, 43, 62 .
3. Book: Beck . Keith . Copsey . John . 1990 . The Great Western in South Devon . Wild Swan Publications . Didcot . 0-906867-90-8 . 184–186 .
4. Book: Vaughan, Adrian . 1989 . Obstruction Danger . Patrick Stephens Limited . Wellingborough . 1-85260-055-1 . 29–32 .
5. Book: Trevena, Arthur . 1980 . Trains in Trouble . 1 . Atlantic Books . Redruth . 41 . 0-906899-01-X.
6. Book: Lewis, John . 1995 . Great Western Auto Trailers - Part Two: Post-Grouping and Absorbed Vehicles . Wild Swan . Didcot . 1-874103-25-9 . 312 .
7. Book: Mitchell . Victor E. . Smith . Keith . April 2000 . Ealing to Slough . Western Main Lines . Middleton Press . Midhurst . 1-901706-42-7 . map IV, figs. 9, 10 .
8. Web site: Accident at Ealing Broadway on 16th November 1937 . The Railways Archive . 29 October 2014 .
9. Book: Harris, Michael . 1966 . Great Western Coaches: 1890–1954 . Newton Abbot . . 146.
10. Book: Veal . Colin . Goodman . John . 1981 . Auto-Trains and Steam Rail Motors of the Great Western . Great Western Society . Didcot . 0-902956-06-X .
11. Book: Maidment, David . 2019 . Great Western Panniers . Pen & Sword Books Limited. 978-1-52673-451-8.