How coach '163' got to Owestry

In the early days of The Cambrian Railways Society, due to the special place of Auto-Coaches working in the local railway operation, the Society had the chance of buying this coach, complete with Auto Controls from down South at a "knock down" price.Very few autocoaches remained, even less with running gear complete.

They paid the price, but the coach was in Bristol. Unfortunately, the Society did not have, at the time, sufficient funds to transport it to Oswestry. After coming up with no solution to this problem, a message arrived via railway staff locally - "Do not do anything about transport." Intrigued, we waited for some weeks. Then a message arrived at the yard. "There is an Auto-Coach in Gobowen Sidings."

Almost disbelieving, we went down and saw 163 resting there. We asked how it got there. A friendly shunter had checked it over, and passed it fit for "One journey only," and put it on a freight train via Birmingham, and yard to yard to Gobowen. Inside the coach was a "Good Luck" message from the local railwaymen who had it in departmental use down there in Bristol.

We now had the problem of getting it down the two and a half miles to Oswestry!!! The Oswestry Relaying Gang solved the problem for us. They happened to be working one Thursday by the connection to the Society Yard. The ballast train to the Quarry had to stop by the yard for safety reasons, and somebody at Gobowen had attached the Autocoach to the ballast train and Class 24 Diesel. Fortunately, we had an engine in steam being tested that day. The Oswestry Gang had possession of the padlock to our yard, and while the ballast train was waiting to clear Oswestry, we were able to take the opportunity to bring 163 into the yard.

This incident resurrected the spirit of Railway personnel at the time. We had a problem, and the railwaymen sorted it out for us.

Could you imagine this happening today? Could you imagine the paperwork and hassle, to get a condemned vehicle from Bristol to Oswestry by rail?

And the Cost........

Happy Days.



EVOLUTION OF AUTO-TRAILER COACHES.

After "railway mania" had gained rich pickings from building railway lines between highly populated areas, speculators looked to the countryside to build single track rural branch lines especially in sparsely populated Wales.

The aim was clear, every village and hamlet was to be within reach of the railway.

The standard form of propulsion was to attach a steam locomotive to a "rake" of coaches.

When the train arrived at its destination the engine would be detached and using a "run around" would travel to the other end of the train for the return journey. If you did not have a "run around" or a means of turning the engine at the terminus the return journey was undertaken with the engine travelling in reverse, tender first or bunker first pushing the train.
Branch lines did not have these amenities, so ways of avoiding uncoupling engines and using less staff were tried.

One innovation was the steam railmotor coach. Simply put, this was a small four wheeled steam engine built into a coach body with a driver compartment at each end.

This was fine for a small number of passengers. The disadvantage of this system was that the steam motor coach needed the same maintenance as a locomotive and was a fixed passenger carrying unit.

Separate steam engines could be used for passengers or freight, so railway companies moved towards the concept of Auto-Coaches, a coach that had a drivers compartment at one end with mechanical controls underneath which could be connected to more Auto-Coaches and then a suitably adapted locomotive, normally a 14xx auto tank.
When the rods and levers were connected, and using a bell system, the driver could operate the train from the Auto-Coach for the return journey.
The fireman would remain in charge of the engine and the driver would have control of the regulator vacuum brake and bell, so when not in use the coaches could be detached and the engine could be then used for other duties.
This concept saved time and effort on branch lines. It gave better utilisation of locomotives and gave a high passenger carrying capacity....The Auto-Coach or Auto-Trailer was born.
This concept became the forerunner of the modern DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) and todays Pendolinos and Sprinters where the driver can operate the train from either end.


G.W.R AUTO-TRAILERS

A prime user of the Auto-Trailer concept was the Great Western Railway.

In 1922/3 they absorbed a number of smaller rural railways and also inherited quite a number of trailer type coaches, these were invariably modified and used after the takeover.

The G.W.R were never known to waste resources!!

In fact, the G.W.R until 1928, did not build any new Trailers, only modfying and using vehicles obtained at the amalgamation. These were invariably of all wooden construction.

The natural progression from all wooden construction was to a wooden framework and flush fitted steel outer panels.

So in 1928, the G.W.R ordered twelve Auto-Trailers, as "lot 394 " to "diagram A27" of which our project No.163 was part.

"Modern" features of this batch included electric lighting, sandboxes, warning gong at the drivers end, steam heating, chain and bell communication and the usual turn-under steps

In summary, the G.W.R incorporated all the design issues from the companies they had absorbed.
The 1928 specification that 163 was built to, was so good that little changed with the design well into the days of British Railways; even then only the colours changed.


AUTO-TRAILER 163 WORKING HISTORY

Built December 1928 to diagram A27

Worked in the following areas in South Wales :-
C/V Pontypridd May 1952
C/V Risca Dec 1956
Abergavenny-Merthyr 1957 with 164
Laira Dec 1957.
Ran with 164, mid 1958
Ran with 243, up to Sept 1960.
(C/V Cardiff Valleys)

Withdrawn in plain maroon Nov 1961.
To service stock No.150315, then in Feb 1962 used as a work study office in Bristol.
In Nov 1975 was purchased by the Cambrian Railways Society


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Built in Swindon diagram A27 lot 1349 delivered January 1929.
Number built-12
Overall body length 59ft 6ins.
Overall vehicle length 63ft 4.5ins.
Rail to roof 12ft 3in.
Bogies Collet heavy duty with 7ft wheelbase.
Drivers compartment 3ft 9ins deep.
Smoking saloon 33ft 5ins long.
Passengers vestibule 3ft 9ins long.
Non-smoking saloon 10ft 11.5ins long.
Luggage compartment 6ft 6.75ins deep.
Seating 72 including 8 emergency in the luggage compartment.


MODIFICATIONS

Corner handles altered June 1932.
Corner pillars cut back in Feb 1933.
(These body modications were done to improve clearances on the Eastern valleys section in South Wales.)
End windows in luggage compartment painted black in Oct 1935.
Automatic train control (ATC) fitted April 1945.
The floor throughout was re-fireproofed in Swindon in 1960.


THE FUTURE FOR 163

163 is being fully restored to be an operating coach again, so the concept of an Auto-trailer in operation can be demonstrated as the forerunner of modern traction.

As an innovation and to help demonstrate the concept, during its restoration it is being equipped with audio and visual aids so it can be used as a mobile classroom for "hands on" learing.

A hearing loop is being fitted, and in the interests of inclusion the coach will be fully wheelchair accessible, so knowlege will be available to all.

Teachers will be able to access infomation and an education pack on the internet, so that the importance of Auto-coach 163 in the evolution of mass public transportation, together with the social history in relation to railways in the area can be looked at within the national curriculum.