GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh1793

Great Western Railway 64xx class 0-6-0PT pannier tank locomotive No 6403 has been photographed here sandwiched between auto- trailers No 67 and No 91 in a three coach auto-train seen standing at Snow Hill Up Platform No 8 on 23rd September 1937. The pannier locomotive is sandwiched between the auto-trailers and would be crewed by the fireman, while the driver operated the regulator and brake controls from the driving cab of the leading auto-trailer. This meant that the auto-train could operate in either direction, dispensing with the need for the locomotive to be ‘turned’ or even ‘run around’ at the terminus stations. The regulator control was operated via a mechanical rod linkage underneath a purpose built trailer coach, which could be connected to an adapted locomotive. The tolerances of this mechanical arrangement limited the maximum number of auto-trailers to two in the leading direction. In addition to his fire and boiler duties, the Fireman had the responsibility of re-establishing the brake's vacuum and operating the reversing gear. Communication was therefore necessary between him and the driver and an electric bell was provided. Specific instructions for working auto-trains were established and those from the 1936 General Appendix to the Rule Book can be found at 'Autocar services'.

Pannier tank No 6403 was built in March 1932 at Swindon Works as part of lot 277. The 64xx class were all intended for auto-train work and fitted with the necessary adaptations. The dual partial control arrangements, meant that these adaptations included providing screw type reversing gear, as it was difficult to notch up a reversing lever when the regulator was open and there was steam pressure on the valves. The 64xx class was almost identical to the 54xx class panniers which had been designed for the same purpose, but introduced three years earlier. The 64xx were however more powerful due to their smaller four foot, seven and a half inch wheel diameter. This increased the tractive effort, which at 85% was 16,510 lbs and classified the locomotives in power group A. The maximum axle weight was 15 tons, 13 cwt, allowing the locomotive to operate on nearly all lines (route colour – yellow). The pannier tank water capacity was 1,100 gallons and the bunker could hold 3 tons, 4 cwt of coal. No 6403 was originally allocated to Stafford Road shed (SRD) in Wolverhampton and was also known to have been allocated there in both January 1934 and January 1938. No 6403 had automatic train control (ATC) fitted between 1934 and 1936. Prior to nationalisation in December 1947, No 6403 was allocated to Bath Road shed (BRD) in Bristol. In March 1959, No 6403 was known to have been allocated to Stourbridge shed (84F) and was withdrawn from there in October 1963.

Auto-trailer No 67 was built at Swindon Works in February 1908 as part of lot 1143. The ten auto-trailers in this lot were the last of those constructed to diagram L and were built for an average cost of £1,252 each. The first diagram L auto-trailer had been built in 1906 and eventually a total of thirty were constructed - the largest quantity of any single type. They were seventy foot long with nine foot American bogies. Internally there were two third class passenger compartments, either side of a central access vestibule. All the doors were inward opening and slightly recessed. The larger compartment, which was initially designated for forty-eight non-smoking passengers, had two open saloon areas with longitude benches and a central area with three pairs of transverse seating bays. The smoking compartment, which could accommodate twenty eight passengers, was similarly arranged, but with only one open saloon area two pairs of transverse seating bays. At this end was a good sized luggage compartment, while at the other was the driver's vestibule. When built, it was envisaged that only one auto-trailer would ever be required in a train and the mechanical regulating gear was terminated at the drivers vestibule position, but after 1910 most auto-trailers were modified allowing the coupling of a second auto-trailer. On No 67 the regulator rodding and electrical communication apparatus was extended to the coach end in 1913. In 27th March 1924, an accident occurred at Snow Hill, when a three coach auto-train with 180 passengers slid on greasy rails and collided at 5 mph with the buffer stops at the end of bay platform No 4. The auto-train was operating trailer first and the experienced driver had correctly applied both the hand and vacuum brakes, but these were insufficient in the conditions and the driver was not able to request his fireman (on the locomotive) to apply sand to the rails to assist the braking. As a result of this accident sand boxes were gradually fitted to auto-trailers, with No 67 receiving them in July 1928. The smoking/non-smoking compartments were reversed in August 1928 to reflect changes in social preferences with the familiar triangular ‘No Smoking’ sign being introduced in 1930. In the smoking compartment, signs with cigarette branding were affixed to the inside of the windows and these can be seen in the photograph. In May 1930, an emergency chain communication cord system was fitted and automatic train control (ATC) was fitted in June 1945. Auto-trailer No 67 was condemned in November 1956. It had retained its gas lighting through out its life.

Auto-trailer No 91 was built at Swindon Works in September 1912 as part of lot 1198. The twelve auto-trailers of this lot were constructed to diagram U. They were ordered in March 1911 and were built for an average cost of £1,192 each. They were seventy foot long with a similar accommodation pattern to diagram L auto-trailers, but with reversible ‘walk-over’ seats instead of fixed pairs of seats arranged in bays. These walk-over seats allowed passengers to face the direction of travel if they chose. Auto-trailer No 91 had sand boxes fitted before the Snow Hill accident referred to above, in October 1921. The emergency chain communication system was fitted in June 1929 and electric lighting in September 1931. Problems with reflections resulted in the luggage compartment windows being partially blacked out and this was carried out on No 91 in October 1935, these windows were later plated over to avoid damage during coaling. Auto-trailer No 91 was never fitted with ATC and like No 67 was also condemned in the late 1950s.

Robert Ferris

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