GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Henley in Arden - New Station: gwrha3020

Great Western Railway four coach Suburban Set labelled Birmingham Division No 6 is seen stabled in the down Refuge Siding adjacent to Henley Goods Branch in 1947. These coaches belong to one of the Birmingham Division ‘A sets’ Four of these ‘A sets’ were allocated to Birmingham Division at the end of 1913 and they have the distinction of being the only seventy foot long non-corridor coaches to run on an English Railway and were the first vehicles on the Great Western Railway to have fireproof floors. All the coaches were steel-panelled, toplight design with nine foot American bogies. The end panels of the outer two coaches were branded ‘Birmingham Division’ with the set number below. Details, including the individual running numbers and arrangement of these coaches in each set are given in the following table:

The eight composite coaches were completed on 18th October 1913. These were built to diagram E97 under lot 1226. The accommodation comprised five first class and six third class compartments. All were condemned by June 1957.

The eight brake third coaches were completed on 29th November 1913. These were built to diagram D55 under lot 1227. The accommodation comprised eight third class compartments, a guard's compartment and a luggage area. All were condemned by December 1956.

Robert Ferris

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