Railcar/auto coach pair-ups

[MoarCrossovers]

Upon reading the review of Heljan's new GWR railcar in Model Rail's latest issue, I noticed a comment that mentioned they were sometimes paired up with autocoaches to increase passenger capacity.

 

Was this a common practice? And if so, what areas most commonly employed it? 

[Wickham Green too]

Not heard of that myself - though I know a 'conventional' coach or two were through-wired to allow three-car sets to be run. The diesel railcars didn't have the mechanical linkage of the Auto Coaches so the latter could only be used as hauled stock.

[Hal Nail]

A pairing with 70ft auto coach type is mentioned in the Heljan railcar thread on here. 

[Paul H Vigor]

Didn't the Lambourn Valley GWR railcar haul a coach as a trailing load, when required? I believe an autocoach may have featured?

[Steamport Southport]

Yes. ISTR reading that they did on the London area lines such as Uxbridge and Staines.

 

Obviously it would need to run round at the terminus.

 

 

 

Jason

[charliepetty]

See here for photos:    https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrhj1895.htm

 

 

[Hal Nail]

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrhj1929.htm

 

Looks like an L or a P 70 footer which were purpose built rather than conversions as suggested in the caption.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Hal Nail

[The Johnster]

The ‘razor’ (Lima/Hornby)1940 style railcars had buffers and normal drawgear, and could haul an auto trailer or any other coach in passenger carrying service, but as the railcar was not fitted with auto linkage, the train could not run with the trailer being propelled and driven from the leading cab in auto mode. 
 

The earlier ‘flying banana’ streamlined (Dapol) type did not have normal buffers and drawgear and could not haul vehicles, except for no.18, the last built, which did and could.  
 

The Lambourne branch featured auto trailers hauled by ‘normal’ locos in non-auto mode, and perhaps by railcars as well, because of the requirement to access ground level halt platforms with the auto trailer’s folding steps on a branch where heavy attached horsebox traffic beyond the capacity of auto locos was a regular feature.
 

Collett ‘sunshine’ gangwayed open thirds were converted as trailer seconds to run with the 2-car razor gangwayed sets in the Reading area by BR, and given lined green dmu livery to match the railcars.