GWR 4 Wheelers early 1950s Livery?

[Haydino]

I'm looking to build a couple of the Ratio GWR 4 wheel coaches as a workers train based in South Wales in the early 1950s. Would they have still been painted in GWR brown by this time of nationalisation? Any references would be handy also!

[Miss Prism]

By then, I don't think they had much paint left on them.

[chrisf]

I looked this up a few years ago:

 

FOUR WHEELED COACHES IN SOUTH WALES

From Railway Observer

 

The following 4-wheeled coaches were observed in South Wales during August 1951, either in use or held as spare coaches for workmen’s trains.  Owing to the poor external condition of the coaches in question the numbers printed may not be entirely accurate.  The two coaches at Caerphilly with the “W” prefix, on the other hand, were in excellent condition in BR red livery.

 

Caerphilly:       W285

W2774 [Third, S9, November 1895]

721

 

Burry Port:      W180

2796 [Third, S17, January 1898]

 

Neath:             945 [Brake Third, T47, June 1900]

4189 [Brake Third, T49, June 1894, was 2605]

 

Four other coaches were in use on the Cymmer – Glyncorrwg branch in July 1951 and details of these and other 4-wheeled coaches on the Western Region would be welcomed.

- March 1952

 

Further 4-wheeled workmen’s coaches in use or laid by in South Wales 1946-51:-

 

Neath              4157

 

Bridgend         743 – now Swindon

 

Glyncorrwg     2691

                        2692

                        2766

                        2775

 

Aberavon        322 [T17 Brake Third]

                        345 [S17 Third]

                        373

                        683

                        2728 [S17 Third]

                        2698 [T17 Brake Third]

 

Treherbert        750

 

Dowlais CH    686

                        719

 

Barry               4184

Burry Port       195

                        238

                        303

                        341

                        734

                        2793

                        2794

                        2799 (later Glyncorrwg, now withdrawn)

                        2800

 

The low-numbered coaches are former firsts and seconds

- April 1952

 

Cymmer Afan – Glyncorrwg – North Rhondda: The four-wheelers which had been a feature of this line for so long have now been replaced by three GW clerestories painted red.

- December 1952

 

Apparently the only non-bogie coaches still officially in traffic for public passenger carrying on British Railways at the close of 1952 were four former Great Western four-wheelers engaged on services in South Wales.  They comprised Thirds 180 and 2796 [S17, January 1898] on the BP&GV line and Brake Thirds 945 [T47, June 1900] and 4157 [T59, November 1894, was 2649] at Neath.  They are not upholstered and are used for the transport of colliers and other workmen, being attached to public advertised trains for this purpose.

 - May 1953

 

Chris

 

[Haydino]

That's great help. Thanks Chris!

[CEINEWYDD]

I am currently working my way through the Burry Port & G V R volume 2.  Pages 288 & 289 have 3 photos of coaches in 1947, by H C Casserley and R C Riley, of 2 x 'S17' and one 'S 9' .  All are in GWR chocolate with GW roundels, but S17 no W180 is repainted by BR, and ' is without any lettering'.  These are not the only coaches imported by GW to Burry Port.