Suburban Toplights - Set Coupling/Composition

[M.I.B]

With the impending arrival of the Dapol Toplight Suburbans, please can someone confirm or correct my assumption that a set of 6 ( as sold/produced by Dapol) was coupled as follows:

 

Brake Third, 4 x non brake, Brake Third,       Van ends at either outer end of the 6 car set.

 

OR

 

Brake Third, 2 x non brakes, Brake third, 2 x non brakes

 

I know that in later life these were split up and appeared everywhere, but I'm focussing on formed sets doing a run such as Windsor to Liverpool Street for example.

 

Many thanks.

[Miss Prism]

Brake 3rd, all 3rd, composite, composite, all 3rd, brake 3rd, with the 1st class of the compos adjacent to each other.

 

see pic

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Miss Prism
found the pic!

[The Johnster]

The GW was keen on ‘first class in the middle’ of set rakes like these.  The E116 B sets were arranged like this, as were the later 4-coach 57’ Colletts as produced by Hornby.  Similar 5-coach sets for Bristol and South Wales were BT/T/C/T/BT, with the first class compartments at the centre of the C. 

[Michael Hodgson]

Fitst class passengers tend to expect not to be inconvenienced. 

For commuters, they like to have their compartments turn up at the same position every time - consistency is what matters. 

Given that a lot of wayside stations have the station building roughly half-way down the platform and a canopy over only that part, the middle of the train typically means less walking and not getting wet.

On longer distance journeys a lot of companies tried to put the first class for expresses nearest the main terminus (the Paddington or Euston end for example) though it might mean further to walk at other stations, especially of course if the other end is also a terminus.

 

[The Johnster]

13 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Fitst class passengers tend to expect not to be inconvenienced. 

For commuters, they like to have their compartments turn up at the same position every time - consistency is what matters. 

Given that a lot of wayside stations have the station building roughly half-way down the platform and a canopy over only that part, the middle of the train typically means less walking and not getting wet.

On longer distance journeys a lot of companies tried to put the first class for expresses nearest the main terminus (the Paddington or Euston end for example) though it might mean further to walk at other stations, especially of course if the other end is also a terminus.

 

And, indeed, I remember complaints at Swansea High Street from first class passengers for exactly this reason.  When you explained that this was to enable them to beat the scrum at Paddington, they usually cheered up a bit!

[M.I.B]

Many thanks to you all, especially Miss Prism.