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: @ 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): 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 | ||
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) |
|
Condemned in 1957 & 1960 respectively. |
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. | |
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 |
4508 - altered to work with Diesel railcars 36 & 36 - 1941 All condemned between 1957 & 1963. |
|
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. | |
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) |
|
All condemned between 1957 & 1959. |
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), |
All condemned between 1957 & 1960. | |
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) |
All condemned between 1957 & 1962. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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) |
|
All condemned between 1957 & 1959. |
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) |
|
All condemned in 1957 & 1958. |
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. | |
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. | |
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 |
|
Windows fitted with sliding ventilators 1938-40, refurbished 1946
All condemned between 1958 & 1961. |
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. |
|
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. |
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. |