Carriage roof boards on North to West trains

[checkrail]

I've just put together a fairly notional 1930s 'North to West' train of mixed GWR & LMS stock.  I'm now wondering what the roof boards looked like on the various sections of such trains.  For instance, did they read, e.g. 'Manchester (London Road) and Plymouth' or include the names of other significant places on route?  I've not been able to find much on here or in the various GWR photo albums.

 

And though I realise this is a GWR section of the forum I wonder if anyone could point me towards info on LMS roof boards for the same types of train?  

 

John C.

[The Fatadder]

Not sure how representative it is of 1947 yet alone if it was the same in the 30s, however the photo of a North to West set that I have found (and forms the basis of the LMS section on mine) has a Period 1 brake, Period 3 Third and a 12 wheel diner.  None of which appear to have roof boards fitted.  

 

Will be interested to hear if it was more common for them to be fitted with or without boards.

[checkrail]

Stop press!  I have just found one bit of evidence in Beck & Copsey's "the Great Western in South Devon". P109 shows a 45xx with coaches at Churston in 1936.  The roof board on the leading coach reads 'Torquay, Bristol, Shrewsbury and Manchester (London Road)' *.  It doesn't help me directly as my layout is set further west, towards Plymouth. But one can perhaps extrapolate that, a) these N to W roof boards did include some major stops on route, and b) that the order in which destinations were listed started (on GWR coaches) from the end in GWR territory, not the 'foreign' terminus.

 

* At least, that's what the editors say in reads in the photo caption.  But they had the benefit of the original print.  It just looks like a blank white strip to my feeble eyes, even through a magnifying glass!

[checkrail]

Hadn't looked at the Sankey Scenics site for ages  - it's been a while since I fitted up my other expresses with their excellent roof boards but I see they've now added more, including the one mentioned in the post above (though it just reads, "Torquay, Bristol, Shrewsbury and Manchester" without the "(London Road)" bit.  That's the only N to W one, but I know they'd do others to order - it's just a case of digging out the evidence I guess.

[M.I.B]

19 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

 (and forms the basis of the LMS section on mine) has a Period 1 brake, Period 3 Third and a 12 wheel diner. 

 

I have an identical section to run from time to time, however, Rule 1 may have to apply because of my proximity to Paddington not Paignton.

[caradoc]

In the book 'Britain's Railways under Steam' (J.B.Snell, Arthur Barker 1965, re-issued by Ian Allan 1977) there is a photo of a coach at Hereford in 1954 bearing the roof board 'Plymouth Bristol Shrewsbuby (yes, Shrewsbuby !) and Manchester (London Road)'. 

 

Edited February 18, 2021 by caradoc
Grammar