Great Western Railway Coaches - Collett 1923 to 1929 Standard Non-Corridor Designs

Collett's shorter standard coaches started to appear just a year after the sleek 70' South Wales Sets debuted; looking the same in every way. For 6 years until August 1929 Swindow turned out these standard designs; both corridor and non-corridor. With the exception of diagram C56 they were all to the same length, 57' along the sides, or 58'2" long including the bow-ends. Just why the non-corridor coaches bow end were 2" shorter than the corridor coaches is not clear. Unlike some of the semi fixed 70' sets which had buckeye couplings, sets that were required to be maintained had permanent couplings that couldn't be separated except in the workshop. Most were formed into semi-permanent sets that generally lasted until after WWII.

Dimensions
	All except E135	E135
Width over cornices	8' 11¼	8' 9½
Width over body at waist	9'	8' 10¼
Width over handles	9' 5¾ / 3¾	9' 4
Height to gutters	10' 7¼	10' 7¼
Height to top of roof	12' 6¹⁄₁₆	12' 6
Height over ventilators	13' 0¼	12' 11⅞
Diagram E135 was built for the Looe branch which had very tight curves.

Diagram	Dimensions Length x Width Wheelbase		Numbers		Conversions
C43 9 compartment non-corridor third	57' x 9' flat ends 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	20 built in 1924 25 built in 1924	4379 to 4397 4409 to 4433		All were condemned between 1957 and 1960.
C56 9 compartment non-corridor third	56'8 x 9' 50' wheelbase 7' bogie	24 built in 1928	5541 to 5564		Formed into 5 coach trains: D101 C56 E134 C56 D101 for the Cardiff and Newport Divisions. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
D85 4 compartment non-corridor brake third	57' x 9' flat ends 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	10 built in 1924 10 built in 1924	4399 to 4408 4434 to 4443		All were condemned between 1957 and 1960.
D86 6 compartment non-corridor brake third	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	26 built in 1924	4652 to 4677	D86 and E124 or D91 and E125 in 1924 livery © Real 17713	Formed into 4 coach trains: D86=E124=E124=D86 = is a permanent coupling All were condemned between 1955 and 1960.
D91 6 compartment non-corridor brake third	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	28 built in 1925	4678 to 4705	D86 and E124 or D91 and E125 in 1924 livery © Real 17713	Formed into 4 coach trains: D91 E125 E125 D91 All were condemned between 1955 and 1960.
D98 6 compartment non-corridor brake third	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 7' bogie	40 built in 1926 16 built in 1929	4945 to 4984 5501 to 5516	D98 © R Spratt collection D98 No.DW150297 ex 4974 © R Spratt collection	Formed into 4 coach trains: D98 E131 E131 D98. 4974 became ADW150297 Banbuy CM&EE Staff and Tool Coach All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
D101 5 compartment non-corridor brake third	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 7' bogie	24 built in 1928	5517 to 5540		Formed into 5 coach trains: D101 C56 E134 C56 D101 for the Cardiff and Newport Divisions. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
E116 6 compartment non-corridor brake composite 1 first class and 5 third class compartments first class compartment unusually at the end of the coach	57' x 9' flat ends 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	14 built in 1924	7169/70, 7171/2, 7510/1, 7574/5, 7576/7, 7578/9 and 7625/6		Formed in pairs as shown for the Bristol Division The pairs were formed with a permanent coupling rather than buffers and screw couplings. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
E124 9 compartment non-corridor composite 4 first class and 5 third class compartments	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	26 built in 1924	6666 to 6691		Formed into 4 coach trains: D86=E124=E124=D86 = is a permanent coupling E124 and E125 were visually very similar. The key difference is that E124 were permanently coupled without buffers, whereas E125 has buffers and normal screw couplings. All were condemned between 1955 and 1960.
E125 9 compartment non-corridor composite 4 first class and 5 third class compartments	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	28 built in 1925	6692 to 6702, 6714, 6719 to 6721, 6737, 6742, 6871, 6872, 6877, 6905, 6926, 6933 to 6937, 6966		Formed into 4 coach trains: D91 E125 E125 D91 E124 and E125 were visually very similar. The key difference is that E124 were permanently coupled without buffers, whereas E125 has buffers and normal screw couplings. All were condemned between 1955 and 1961.
E129 7 compartment non-corridor brake composite 1 first class and 6 third class compartments	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 9' light bolster bogie	10 built in 1926	6545/7, 6551/3, 6556/60, 6561/3 and 6565/6		Formed in pairs as shown for the Bristol Division. The pairs were formed with a permanent coupling rather than buffers and screw couplings. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
E131 9 compartment non-corridor composite 4 first class and 5 third class compartments	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 7' bogie	40 built in 1926 16 built in 1929	6231, 6233, 6235 to 6237, 6242, 6248 to 6250, 6252, 6255, 6256, 6258, 6259, 6260, 6264, 6272, 6329, 6331, 6344 to 6346, 6349, 6350, 6354, 6357, 6360, 6362, 6364, 6369, 6370, 6376, 6387, 6388, 6390, 6416, 6435, 6458, 6468, 6469 6624 to 6639	E131 © R Spratt collection	Formed into 4 coach trains: D98 E131 E131 D98. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
E134 9 compartment non-corridor composite 5 first class and 4 third class compartments	58'2 x 9' 50' wheelbase 7' bogie	12 built in 1928	6567 to 6578		Formed into 5 coach trains: D101 C56 E134 C56 D101 for the Cardiff and Newport Divisions. All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.
E135 6 compartment non-corridor brake composite 1 first class and 5 third class compartments	58'2 x 8'10¼ 50'3 wheelbase 7' bogie	4 built in 1929	6640/1, 6642/3		Formed as B sets for the Looe branch All were condemned between 1958 and 1961.