GWR Siphon G No 2983

Given the interest in historical carriage and wagon items, I thought that this topic on an example of a GWR goods vehicle might be of interest. Genuine GWR rolling stock items are not common on the GWSR at present but there are several examples of GWR and other pre-Nationalisation goods vehicles, including a 1945-built GWR Siphon G milk churn carrier. Built at Swindon in 1945, lot No 1664 to Diagram O59, this vehicle was numbered 2983 and then renumbered as US6908. It was allocated to United States Army Ambulance Train No 69 until 1946 when it returned to GWR service. In BR service, it was allocated the number DB975783. In 1982, after some years’ service carrying newspapers, this Siphon was stored out of use at Swindon and was purchased by Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd, owners of ex-GWR steam locomotive No 2807, as a stores and workshop vehicle at the GWSR, Toddington. Before departing for Toddington, this Siphon was given the best available bogies available to hand and some other spares, such as doors, were included in the purchase.



Whilst some restoration, and a repaint into a pseudo GWR chocolate livery, took place after purchase, work on 2807 precluded full restoration of this Siphon until fairly recently. Once 2807 had returned to steam in 2010, planning started on a full restoration of the Siphon and it was towed to the C&W depot at Winchcombe in 2013 so that work could begin in earnest, including the re-canvasing of the leaky roof. The C&W Department assisted in completing the roof in May 2014 whilst much replacement of door and structural timbers has been undertaken as well as cleaning and repainting the chassis and bogies (one bogie still requires cleaning) and refitting the interior. The louvred door panel sections have been backed in Perspex to help insulate and protect the interior. The gangways will not be operational but it is hoped to run the Siphon in suitable goods or passenger trains at some stage.



I will post updates where appropriate and will include some internal shots of the vehicle when internal restoration is completed.

Some images of No 2983, from around its arrival at the GWSR in 1982 until today.

 

The restoration of Siphon G No 2983 proceeds apace and is now almost complete. There are a few remaining jobs to undertake (including painting wheels and one bogie) and, with a vehicle like this which will remain outside and static for long periods, it will be in constant need of fuss. However, it really looks like a Siphon G these days and we were hoping to get it checked out to run in a GWSR goods consist at the 2018 Cotswold Festival of Steam at the end of May but no goods trains operated in the end. Never mind, its time will come. I attach some recent images taken on the Saturday of the May Festival of Steam.

 

adding it to a passenger train would be better than running it in a goods train

 

Looks excellent. As we’ve seen from several of these coming onto the market recently a few railways are struggling to find a place for such vehicles, so its good to see one receiving such TLC.

 

Pt.II of Jim Russell's Great Western Coaches shows to photos of Siphon G's (O.33 Diag). Brown vehicles were usually associated with passenger traffic more than goods.
One photo is of 2992, of the later ones and it is suggested that whilst they were classed a ventilated milk wagons they frequently carried parcels and luggage more than milk and could sometimes be seen on the pigeon specials. They were usually marshalled at the head of express trains.