| Early Toplight coaches are wooden panelled, similar to the last Dean coaches, but with elliptical roofs and wider bodies. Their distinguishing feature which also gives them their name is the small glass lights or windows above the main windows. Over the years, as repairs became necessary, these toplights got plated over. Also the panels got plated over and slowly a toplight coach start with time to look like a later steel body coach. This is best illustrated by the photo of camping coach 9930 below which has been partially plated over. | |
| The identifying feature of Bars 1 design is that at the end of the sides the eaves panel continues above the window level panels. On later Bars 2 coaches the there is no eaves panel
above the window level panels; instead these panels continue up to the gutter. As coaches aged and panels started to be repaired with steel over-panels it can be difficult to distinguish
between the two designs.
Bars 1 coaches were built between 1907 and 1911. Initially they were built with gas lighting, but by 1911 electric light was fitted from new and the earlier coaches were converted to electric. |
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| It gets even more complicated as many Toplights were sold to the War Department for ambulance trains in the Great War. After the war they were purchased back and put into service; some required
little work whilst others required almost completely new bodies. These returned coaches are listed separately on the WD Rebuilds page.
Below are just a few of the Bars 1 Toplights diagrams. | |
| Dimensions | |||
| Width over cornices | 8' 11¼ | ||
| Width over body at waist | 9' | ||
| Width over handles | 9' 5 | ||
| Height to gutters | 10' 7¼ | ||
| Height to top of roof | 12' 6¼ | ||
| Height over ventillators | |||
