The GWR autocoach (or auto-trailer) is a type of coach that was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of the steam locomotive. This eliminates the need to run the engine round to the other end of the coach at the end of each journey.

When one or more autocoaches are connected to a suitably equipped steam locomotive, the combination is known as an autotrain, or, historically, a railmotor train. A steam locomotive provided with the equipment to be used as an autotrain is said to be auto-fitted.

The autocoach is the forerunner of the driving trailer used with modern push–pull trains.

Design features

A locomotive fitted with additional control equipment is used to power the autotrain. When running 'autocoach first', the regulator is operated by a linkage to a rotating shaft running the length of the locomotive, passing below the cab floor. This engages (via a telescopic coupling) with another shaft running the full length below the floor of the autocoach. This shaft is turned by a second regulator lever in the cab of the autocoach. (See photograph sequence below.) The driver can operate the regulator, brakes and whistle from the far (cab) end of the autocoach; the fireman remains on the locomotive and (in addition to firing) also controls the valve gear settings. The driver can also warn of the train's approach using a large mechanical gong, prominently mounted high on the cab end of the autocoach, which is operated by stamping on a pedal on the floor of the cab. The driver, guard and fireman communicate with each other by an electric bell system.

In operation

If more than one autocoach was used, the locomotive would usually be marshalled between the coaches, as 'play' in the control linkages could otherwise make operation difficult. This arrangement was not always possible where turntables were not convenient for turning coaches and hence up to two autocoaches could follow or lead a locomotive with cab ends away from the locomotive.

Many GWR suburban services around Plymouth were formed of fixed autotrain formations of four autocoaches, two each side of the locomotive with cabs leading in each direction. When these were introduced in 1906, experiments were made to harmonise the appearance of the locomotive in the middle of the train by cutting down the side tanks and encasing the entire locomotive in a square bodyshell of the same basic design, height and width as the coaches, complete with 'windows' and the same chocolate/cream paint livery. Two 2021 Class and two 517 Class engines were modified in this way.

Accidents and incidents On 15 April 1923, carriage No. 70 formed a passenger train hauled by locomotive No. 215. The train was in a head-on collision with a freight train at Curry Rivel, Somerset due to a signalman's error. Nine people were injured. On 16 November 1937, an empty train in a siding at the eastern end of Ealing Broadway station (between platforms 2 and 3) was waiting to be called into the platform to form the next service to when the driver started the train in thick fog without noticing that the points were not set for the platform nor that the signals were against him, and the auto-trailer crashed into the signal box. This auto-trailer, no. 211 of Diagram A31, had been converted in August 1935 from steam rail motor no. 81 (Diagram Q1); it was repaired after the accident, and was not withdrawn until March 1959.

Fleet list + Fleet list Year Diagram Lot no. Fleet no. Length Notes Preserved examples 1904 A 1055 1 1904 B 1055 2 1905 B, V, W, X, A4 1081 3–6 1905 C 1087 7, 8 1905 D, A11, A12 1090 9, 10 1905 E, F 1097 11–13 1905 G, G1, H 1097 14–17 1906 J, J1 1102 19–24 1905 K, K1, Y, A5 1103 25–28 1906 L 1108 29–34 1906 M, M1, A8 1108 18, 35 1907 N 1126 36–41 38 at the Telford Steam Railway 1906 L 1127 42–47 1907 O, S 1128 48 Experimental 1907 P 1130 49–52 1908 L 1141 53–58 1908 L 1143 59–70 1909 Q 1160 71, 72 1909 R 1161 73, 74 1911 T 1190 75–80 1912 U 1198 81–92 92 at Didcot Railway Centre, used with the steam railmotor 1913 Q 1224 93–95 1913 R 1225 96–98 1915 Z — 99–104 Rebuilt from railmotors 3–8 1917 A6 — 105, 106 Rebuilt from railmotors 1, 2 1916–19 A7 — 107–112 Rebuilt from railmotors 9–14 1919–20 A9 — 113–124 Rebuilt from railmotors 17–28 1920–23 A10 — 125, 128–133 Rebuilt from railmotors 29, 32, 31, 33–36 1920 A13 — 126 Rebuilt from railmotor 59 1920 A14 — 127 Rebuilt from railmotor 60 1923 A15 — 136, 137 Rebuilt from railmotor 46, 47 1923 A17 — 134 Rebuilt from railmotor 43 1923 A18 — 135 Rebuilt from railmotor 44 1923 A19 — 138–140 Rebuilt from railmotors 50–52 1928 A23 — 146 Rebuilt from railmotor 38 1928 A24 — 147 Rebuilt from railmotor 41 1928 A25 — 148 Rebuilt from railmotor 45 1928 A26 — 149 Rebuilt from railmotor 57 1928 A29 — 150–153 Rebuilt from railmotors 61, 63, 67, 68 1928 A26 — 154–157 Rebuilt from railmotor 85, 87, 89, 90 1928 A26 — 158 Rebuilt from railmotor 99 1929 A27 1394 159–170 163 at the South Devon Railway167 at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway169 at the West Somerset Railway 1930 A28 1410 171–180 174 at the Llangollen Railway178 at the Severn Valley Railway 1930 A26 1432 181–185 Rebuilt from railmotors 54, 56, 84, 95, 94 1930 A29 1432 186 Rebuilt from railmotor 62 1933 A33 1480 187–196 190 at the Didcot Railway Centre 1934 A23 1511 197, 198 Rebuilt from railmotors 39, 40 1934 A26 1511 199, 200, 206 Rebuilt from railmotors 53, 58, 86 1934 A29 1511 201 Rebuilt from railmotor 69 1934 A31 1511 202–205 Rebuilt from railmotors 73, 74, 82, 83 1935 A31 1521 207–209 Rebuilt from railmotors 75, 78, 79 1936 A26 1542 210, 212–215 Rebuilt from railmotors 91, 93, 96–98 212 restored as a steam railmotor at the Didcot Railway Centre 1936 A31 1542 211 Rebuilt from railmotor 81 1936 A29 1545 216–218 Rebuilt from railmotors 64, 66, 72 1936 A31 1542 219 Rebuilt from railmotor 76 1938 A34 1600 1668–1671 Auto-fitted Brake Thirds 1951 A38 1736 222–234 232 was modified as a first class saloon on the Dartmouth Steam Railway233 was modified as a test coach by British Rail (see below) 225, 228 and 233 at the South Devon Railway231 at the Didcot Railway Centre232 at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway 1951 A39 1736 220 1951 A40 1736 221 1953 A43 1766 235–244 238 Chaffinch on the Severn Valley Railway240 on the South Devon Railway 1953 A44 — 245–256 Rebuilt from Brake Thirds 5491/95, 4015/16/05/19, 4343, 5871, 4358, 5875, 4351/45

Auto-fitted locomotives Several Great Western locomotive classes included examples equipped to work in autotrains at different times. These included:

Type Total Introduced Preserved examples Comments 455 Class 2-4-0T 40About 40 1869 – Some fitted with auto gear after 1905 517 Class 0-4-2T 86 1868 – Some fitted with auto gear after 1905 645 Class 0-6-0PT 1 1872 - No. 1522 fitted in April 1931; withdrawn November 1937 1076 Class 0-6-0ST/PT 21 1870 – Some fitted with auto gear after 1905 1854 Class 0-6-0PT 1 1890 - No. 1728 auto-fitted at some point in the 1920s; withdrawn February 1932 2021 Class 0-6-0ST/PT 27 1897 - Some fitted with auto gear after 1905 4575 Class 2-6-2T 15 1927 5572 Certain locomotives of this class fitted with auto gear in 1953 4800 Class 0-4-2T 75 1932 1420, 1442, 1450, 1466 Auto-fitted version of 5800 Class later renumbered as 1400 Class 5400 Class 0-6-0PT 25 1930 – All auto-fitted 6400 Class 0-6-0PT 40 1932 6412, 6430, 6435 Smaller wheel version of 5400 Class, all auto-fitted

References

Further reading

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