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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Moor Street Station: gwrms1787

Composite image of the seven new four-coach suburban sets introduced in to the Birmingham division in 1924

Seven new four coach suburban sets introduced in to the Birmingham division in 1924 were unusual in that they were permanently close coupled sets with a rigid coupling that allowed buffers to be dispensed with. These coach sets each consisted of two pairs of fifty eight foot, two inch long, non-corridor coaches. The two brake third coaches were arranged at each end of the train with two composite coaches in between them. The brake third coaches were built under lot 1335 to diagram D86 in 1924 with a luggage compartment, guard’s compartment and six third-class compartments. The Birmingham Set running numbers in set order, were; 4652-4664, 4653-4665, 4654-4666, 4655-4667, 4656-4668, 4657-4669 and 4658-4670. The composite coaches were built under lot 1336 to diagram E124 in 1924 with four first-class and five third-class compartments. The Birmingham Set running numbers in set order, were; 6666-6678, 6667-6689, 6668-6680, 6669-6681, 6670-6682, 6671-6683 and 6672-6684.

Detail of the close coupling arrangement can be seen in the top left photograph, while the resulting reduced distance between adjacent coaches can be seen in the top right photograph. This photograph shows composite coach No 6684 from Birmingham Set No 19 in its twilight years. The two plans are also from this coach diagram (E124) and show the bow ends of the coach into which the seats in the end compartments curved. These coach sets were condemned in July 1960. For more details see New Coaches for Suburban Services article. Seven further four coach suburban sets were delivered to the Birmingham division in the following year and these were built under the same two lot numbers. Essentially identical, but with conventional couplings and buffers, they also had straight compartment ends created by the introduction of a false internal partition across the bow end. They were given coach diagram numbers D91 and E125. The lower photograph shows a diagram D91 brake third coach No 4704 from Birmingham Set No 26 in its original chocolate and cream livery with painted panels.

Robert Ferris

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