Great Western Railway Coaches

When Collett laid down the design for his first coaches he decided to go big. Collett's new South Wales coaches were 70' long and 9' wide, not as big as Churchward's Dreadnoughts which were 9'6" wide. Collett's design had cleaner lines with no toplights or ventilators in the doors. Although interestingly bottom hinged toplights were fitted above the picture windows in restaurant cars. There was no tumblehome on the ends, instead the ends were vertical. He introduced Pullman gangways with buckeye couplers and hinged buffers on some of the coaches like Gresley was already using on the LNER. Those ends that had buckeyes had a bow-end; where the centre of the end made the coach longer than at the side of the coach by 8" at each end. The coaches ran on a new design of 9' bogie, the restaurant cars got a heavyweight version of the bogie.

The initial batch of coaches formed 2 trains for the Paddington to Swansea service ^(SW) and it was formed:

D83 C45 @ E109 @ H26 @ E110 @ C44 D84

@ Indicates Buckeye coupling and bow-ends

However, this formation did not last long and these coaches were rostered in other trains. Later that year a further batch of coaches appeared and 10 of the coaches were designated for the Cornish Riviera ^(CR). In January 1924 another batch of coaches appeared and these were formed into 6 coach sets⁽⁶⁾:

D83 C46 E112 E111 C46 D84, note none were buckeye fitted

Later in 1924 28 more coaches were built, most with buckeye couplings. These became the last GWR coaches to be built with buckeyes. Some of these were allocated for the 'Kingswear No.2' train ^(K2), 'Riviera No.2' train ^(R2) or 6 coach sets. Finally in 1925 46 thirds were built. Number 4750 became the last 70' coach built by the GWR.

The buckeye sets were split up in 1930/31 and rebuilt for normal use with screw couplings and normal buffers.

Dimensions
Width over cornices	8' 11¼
Width over body at waist	9'
Width over handles	9' 5¾
Height to gutters	10' 7¾
Height to top of roof	12' 6½
Height over ventilators	13' 0¾

Diagram	Dimensions Length x Width Wheelbase		Numbers		Conversions
C44 10 compartment corridor third, 2 lavatories Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at left hand end	70'8 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923	2472^(SW) & 2474^(SW)	C44 No. 2476 © GWR	Condemned in 1957 & 1960 respectively.
C45 10 compartment corridor third, 2 lavatories Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at right hand end	70'8 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 2 built in 1923	2473^(SW) & 2475^(SW) 4501^(CR) & 4502^(CR)		All condemned between 1956 & 1960.
C46 10 compartment corridor third, 2 lavatories	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	12 built in 1924 45 built in 1925	4503^(CR), 4504^(CR), 4505⁽⁶⁾ to 4514⁽⁶⁾ 4706 to 4750	C46 © GR Grigs 1021	4508 - altered to work with Diesel railcars 36 & 36 - 1941 All condemned between 1957 & 1963.
C50 10 compartment corridor third, 2 lavatories Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at both ends	71'4 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	6 built in 1924	4515, 4516, 4517^(K2), 4518^(K2), 4519^(R2), 4520^(R2)		All condemned between 1957 & 1959.
D82 4 compartment corridor brake third (right hand), 1 lavatory Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at left hand end	70'8 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 4 built in 1924	3518 & 3519 4613, 4615^(K2), 4617^(K2) & 4619^(R2)	D82 No. 4613 © Lens	All condemned between 1957 & 1959.
D83 4 compartment corridor brake third (left hand), 1 lavatory	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 6 built in 1924	3516^(SW) & 3517^(SW) 4603^(CR), 4604^(CR), 4606⁽⁶⁾, 4608⁽⁶⁾ 4610⁽⁶⁾ & 4612⁽⁶⁾	D83 or D90 © ML Boakes	All condemned between 1957 & 1960.
D84 4 compartment corridor brake third (right hand), 1 lavatory	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 4 built in 1924	4601^(SW) & 4602^(SW) 4605⁽⁶⁾, 4607⁽⁶⁾, 4609⁽⁶⁾ & 4611⁽⁶⁾	D84 No. 4601 © GWR D84 © RK Blencowe 18908	All condemned between 1957 & 1962.
D90 4 compartment corridor brake third (left hand), 1 lavatory Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at right hand end	70'8 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	4 built in 1924	4614, 4616^(K2), 4618^(K2) & 4620^(R2)		All condemned between 1957 & 1958.
D100 4 compartment corridor brake third (right hand), 1 lavatory	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	1 rebuilt in 1927 from D42	3476		Condemned in 1959.
E109 9 compartment corridor composite, 2 lavatories 4 first class compartments and 5 third class compartments (right hand) Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at both ends	71'4 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 2 built in 1924	7601^(SW) & 7604^(SW) 7943 & 7945^(K2)	E109 No. 7601 © GWR	All condemned between 1957 & 1959.
E110 9 compartment corridor composite, 2 lavatories 4 first class compartments and 5 third class compartments (left hand) Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at both ends	71'4 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	2 built in 1923 6 built in 1924	7602^(SW) & 7603^(SW) 7929^(CR), 7930^(CR), 7944, 7946^(K2), 7947, 7948^(R2)	E110 or E112 at Shrewesbury © Photomatic 1305	All condemned in 1957 & 1958.
E111 9 compartment corridor composite, 2 lavatories 4 first class compartments and 5 third class compartments (right hand)	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	8 built in 1924	7932^(CR), 7936⁽⁶⁾ to 7942⁽⁶⁾		All condemned between 1957 & 1961.
E112 9 compartment corridor composite, 2 lavatories 4 first class compartments and 5 third class compartments (left hand)	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	4 built in 1924	7631^(CR), 7933⁽⁶⁾ to 7935⁽⁶⁾		All condemned between 1958 & 1961.
H26 Corridor Composite Diner 3 first class dining tables, kitchen, 4 third class dining tables Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at both ends	71'4 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	4 built in 1923	9568^(SW), 9569^(SW), 9570, 9571	H26 No. 9568 © GWR	Windows fitted with sliding ventilators 1938-40, refurbished 1946 All condemned between 1958 & 1961.
H27 Corridor Composite Diner 3 first class dining tables, kitchen, 4 third class dining tables	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	1 built in 1923	9572		Bogies changed to 12'6 6 wheel 1929 type in 1939 Windows fitted with sliding ventilators 1940, refurbished 1946 and given diagram H28. Condemned 1961.
H28 Corridor Composite Diner 3 first class dining tables, kitchen, 4 third class dining tables	70' x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	1 built in 1923	9573	Diagrams H27 and H28 differed only in the design of the seats!!	Bogies changed to 12'6 6 wheel 1929 type in 1939 Windows fitted with sliding ventilators ca.1939, refurbished 1946 Condemned 1960.
H29 Corridor Composite Diner 3 first class dining tables, kitchen, 4 third class dining tables Buckeye coupling and bow-eye at both ends	71'4 x 9'0 62'6 wheelbase	4 built in 1923	9574 to 9577	Diagrams H26 and H29 differed only in the design of the seats!!	9574 - Bogies changed to 12'6 6 wheel 1929 type in 1939 Windows fitted with sliding ventilators ca.1939, refurbished 1946 All condemned between 1960 & 1961.