GWR Buffers question

When did the larger parallel stock buffers that seem to be on most GWR loco's in preservation come into use?

 

It must have been in the mid/late 20s, because looking through Russell, you don't see them on locos new in the early 20s, but you do see them by 1930, for example new 2251s. However it doesn't seem to have been anything like a universal changeover, because 4-6-0s especially seem to have been built with the tapered body much later. In the case of the Manors and Granges especially these might well have been refurbished older componenets.

 

There were two types of taper buffer, the early 'light' type with a short parallel section and ring at the head end and the heavier type which was tapered all the way,and, IIRC a thicker shank. Some 'Kings' had these well into the 50's. 'Hope this helps but probably just confuses matters. LOL. Ray.

 

The 'light' buffers which you refer to and what the modellers appear to call Dean/Churchward type were actually Matthews patent buffers manufactured by George Turton and Platts in Sheffield and whilst known by the rank and file on the railway as Matthews buffers, they were officially referred to as GW1 type. The buffer stock was cast iron with a forged steel shank. We still have one of these fitted to 4965 where the stamping 'Matthews patent' can still just be made out on the buffer face. They can be found on pictures of broad gauge engines and could still be seen almost to the end of WR steam and were actually used by one or two other railways in Victorian times, including IIRC the Midland Railway.

The next type to come along were the full tapered variety which mad their appearance in the mid 20's. Using a volute style spring similar to the Matthews type, they were known on the railway as Dew buffers as they were apparently the idea of walter Dew who was the erecting shop foreman at Swindon, although again officially known as GW2 type. The bodies were however steel stampings rather than castings. It is rare to find original examples of these buffers, certainly the only ones to my knowledge are those currently fitted to 4073 at Swindon. They did survive to well into the 60's and there appears to have been a set with burnished heads which were kept for fitting to Royal train engines, as we have photos of 4082 on shed here at Tyseley in 62 with these buffers fitted.

The final type are the parallel barrel type which were manufactured again by George Turton and Platts in Sheffield and marketed as the 'Turplat No Weld' buffer. Known as Turton buffers they were officially GW3 type. The bodies and heads were substantial steel stampings and as their brand name implied were not of welded construction. They appeared in the 20's progressively, particularly on tank loco's and spreading to the rear of Collett tenders. As these loco's became redundant and withdrawn in the 50's I have always suspected that many of these buffers were reclaimed in the C shop at Swindon and used to replace the somewhat less robust Dew buffers, explaining the spread of these buffers on to Halls Castles and Kings, so explaining their almost exclusive use by the end of steam, and the current almost complete absence of any in the preservation era. They did actually share many design features and some components with the Turplat No Weld buffers fitted to the LMS Stanier standard engines, overall lengths were the same although the bodies of GW version was slightly shorter and their base flanges were bigger than the LMS ones. This was to enable standard bolt centres for all GW buffer types, the LMS ones being arranged to suit the bolt centres of the previous somewhat similar type of Derby buffers fitted to Scots , Crabs and the like. One can only ponder on where Mr Stanier gained a preference for the Turton type.

Regards
Bob

 

Thanks for that,most informative,post Bob. Regards Ray.

 

Thanks for that Bob. What prompted my question was that Polly models in their 'Practical Scale' range list tapered buffers as Collett and parallel buffers as late GWR/BR(W), but i have seen a pic of 5105 in photographic grey so presumably new, and it is fitted with parallel buffers.

 

Following on from Bob's note, a set of 4 buffer assemblies to Type GW1, have recently been cast and machined for the Saint Project at Didcot.
A pair have been fitted to 2999's front buffer beam and the other pair will be fitted to the tender once the tender rebuild is complete.