Great Western Railway Coaches - Collett Super Saloons

For many years the number of passengers arriving at Plymouth from America on an Ocean Liner and wanting a fast train to London had increased. Initially the GWR had run specials as required. Then in 1929 they started a contract with Pullman to operate a set of Pullman coaches. This only lasted until late 1931 when the GWR introduced their own coaches which became known as the Super Saloons. Collett exploited extra large loading gauge of the line bewtween Plymouth Docks and Paddington and built his biggest 60' coaches ever. They were slightly bigger than the 1929 Cornish Riviera stock and looked so similar to the dining cars with their recessed ends doors. The eight coaches were built with a lavatory and luggage rack at each end, a coupe compartment for 4, a large saloon seating 17 and a smaller saloon seating upto 10. Each table looked out through a large picture window, half of them fitted with small sliding ventilators at the top. Oppulence way the keyword throughout mirroring the Pullman style and this was reflected by giving them the names of the Royal Family. For the first few years they ran with adjoining kitchen cars, but in 1935 two were converted to have their own kitchen. In 1947 the coaches were refurbished and larger ventilators were fitted to the windows. Even in BR days when the demand of cross atlantic travellers was lesser it wasn't unknown to run a train of 4 Super Saloons sandwiching a H54 Kitchen Car.

Dimensions
Width over cornices	9' 2
Width over body at waist	9' 7
Height to gutters	10' 8¼
Height to top of roof	12' 6¾
Height over ventilators	13' 1¼
Length over sides	60' 0
Length over bow ends	61' 4½
Wheelbase	53' 6

Diagram	Dimensions Length x Width Wheelbase		Numbers		Conversions
G60 First Saloon Two saloons, a coupe compartment 2 lavatories.	9' bogies	2 built in 1931/2	9111 King George 9112 Queen Mary		Condemned in 1967.
G61 First Saloon Two saloons, a coupe compartment 2 lavatories.	9' bogies	6 built in 1931/2	9113 Prince of Wales 9114 Duke of York 9115 Duke of Gloucester 9116 Duchess of York 9117 Princess Royal 9118 Princess Elizabeth	G61 No.9113 Prince of Wales at Bridgnorth 1972 © CL Caddy G61 No.9118 Princess elizabeth at Plymouth Millbay © HMRS AEL131	9117 & 9118 converted to H45 All were condemned between 1965 and 1968.
H45 Dining First Saloon Two saloons and kitchen 1 lavatory.	9' bogies	2 converted in 1935 from G61	9117 Princess Royal 9118 Princess Elizabeth		Condemned in 1965 and 1966 respectively.