West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The first class passengers would. Weren't third class passengers obliged to provide any neccessary 'grunt' on steep hills (women and children last, I'd imagine)? Wonder what happened if the whole passenger complement was first class ticket holders?

 

That thought had crossed my mind - especially given my recollection that the so called escape lane half way down used to involve a right angle turn to the left to get into it - which in a vehicle notoriously rather top heavy and a steep drop if you don't make it might have made for a few volunteers to walk down and ease the strain on the brakes!

 

The first two carriages visible on the main platform to the east of the station building don't look at all familiar. Ideas, anyone?

 

I have been looking at them using a magnifying glass on the photo in Ian C's book, and think they are two GWR Dreadnought coaches as these had the corridor changing sides in the middle and the shell vents change sides as well.

 

The recessed end doors are a big visual clue, too.

 

Not being well versed in GW stock, they had a somewhat 'Austro-Hungarian' look to my eye. (Runs for cover). I'm better with LSW & LBSC stock ..... honest!

 

Well, it's the same here! Oh for a train of Marsh Baloon stock. Apparently many survived, grounded, by the end of the 30s,
but by the end of the war they'd all gone as rot or firewood.

 

And don't forget the descent of Countisbury Hill - much better for a good run-up and flying leap...

 

Brighton carriages tended to be in mahogany which is not as good a structural timber as the teak used by the L.C.D.R. which, given a modicum of care, is almost immortal. Thankfully, the Ventnor West push-pull set, an interesting concept and attractive to ride in, is teak built.

Can anyone say what species of timber the G.W.R. tended to use?

PH

 

Stettin (Polish) Oak with some teak and mahogany, the wood panels on the coach was also mahogany. Ash was sometimes for the roof hoops.

 

'Great Western Coaches 1890-1954' (Michael Harris) refers to Stettin (Polish) oak for the framing and Honduras Mahogany for the external panelling.

 

Not 100% true. Crew can, from time to time, get the odd footplate pass issued to take a person on the footplate. It is a bit like getting hold of rocking horse droppings though.

 

Just out of interest, but probably hard to quantify; with grounded bodies has the oak framing stood up better than its LBSCR mahogany equivalent?

 

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Check rail curves need an S+C Tamper to tamp correctly or a gang of bodies packing by hand or using Kango hammers.

 

A warm wally , no less .

 

That's what I thought. Is one available to the WSR?

 

I believe that the local hospital had a ward for Porlock Hill casualties, and some surgeons specialised in dealing with hands damaged by kickbacks when using a starting handle.

I am lucky enough to have been taught to use one properly (If, usually in the case of Diesels ineffectively)

 

Back in the black & white days I have seen one burly guy on the handle on a large lorry with a rope attached and two or three pulling on it , with success .

 

I was told that a number of London Transport garages had a starting trolley. This had a small petrol engine which was easy to start. The trolley could be wheeled up to a bus and the starting shaft engaged with the straight 6 engine. Using a clutch arrangement the small petrol engine would start the larger petrol or diesel