GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Hall Green Station: gwrhg2927

An ex-GWR Diesel Railcar enters the station on a down local service to Stratford upon Avon in 1959. In 1933, the GWR introduced the first of what was to become a very successful series of railcars, which survived in regular use into the 1960s, when they were replaced by what are described as British Railway's first generation Diesel Multiple Units. The Railcar seen above is thought to be from the second batch (No 5 to No 18), as the third and final batch (No 19 to No 38) having a small window panel at the top of the two windscreen panels. Built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, they incorporated several improvements to the original design. Sliding doors replaced the previous opening doors to increase accessibility in busy periods and deeper windows were installed to improve the view for passengers and increase the sliding ventilator window size. The front and rear of the railcar incorporated ventilation slots above the drivers windows together with subtle changes to the curves at the drivers compartment that slightly cleaned up the design.

In addition to the changes to the bodywork, the underframes were modified in light of experience from the previous railcars and the areas around the bogie pivots and headstocks were strengthened. While No 5 and No 6 retained the part geared/part direct drive of the previous three models, No 7 was provided a gearbox to each of its AEC engines and so gave a greater starting tractive effort. Delivered in July and August 1935, these first three railcars were assigned duties in the Oxford and Worcester services working between London, Hereford and Birmingham. In addition, these first cars were also used for Sunday evening mystery tours around the Worcester area. Known as 'half-crown' tours these workings travelled down to Gloucester, for example, via the Vale of Evesham and returning via Great Malvern, and proved very popular when first introduced. Courtesy of www.greatwestern.org.uk.

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