W22w Railcar

[Stephaine Zitzow]

TheGreat Western Railway introduced Diesel Railcar units in the 1930s as a more economic replacement to steam traction on smaller branch lines. They were first used around the Kidderminster / Bewdley / Hartlebury triangle from 1936, entering service on the rest of the Severn Valley and Tenbury branches in 1941 where they continued in use until the 1960s. Railcar 22 is owned by the Great Western Society at Didcot but was resident on loan at the SVRSevern Valley Railway in the 1960s and 1970s.

The first 18 diesel railcars built between 1934 and 1937 featured a streamlined shape which gave rise to the nickname "flying banana". Railcar 22 was one of the next batch of 18 built at the GWRGreat Western Railway's Swindon works between 1940 and 1942; these featured a more angular design sometimes described as "razor edged". Railcars in this batch were equipped with two AEC diesel engines of 105 hp each, and were fitted with standard buffers and drawgear to which could be coupled a 60 ton tail load, allowing the railcar to tow a coach or act as the local pick-up goods train at off-peak times. The railcar could carry 48 passengers and included a large luggage department.[1][2]

Railcar 22 entered service from Newport shed on 18 September 1940.[2] On 30 July 1941, 22 and sister number 23 were noted in the Kidderminster area, believed to be on test runs for the introduction of railcar services on the Severn Valley and Tenbury Branches which began that year.[3] Thereafter Railcar 22 was based in the Bristol area and between 1950 and 1954, in the Reading area where it had been paired with Car 38 after sister Car 35 was destroyed by fire. For the next few years 22 was based at Leamington, before a move to Worcester in 1958 from where it regularly worked services on the Severn Valley Branch as far as Shrewsbury and also on the Tenbury Branch. A railcar servicing depot had been established at Worcester in the Carriage & Wagon works area. This was north of Shrub Hill on the opposite side of the main line to the steam shed. Vehicle fuelling points were provided both inside and outside the shed and there were underfloor maintenance pits.[4]

For much of its BRBritish Rail or British Railways life 22 was painted in maroon and cream, but in August 1958 it was repainted in BRBritish Rail or British Railways mid-green. Following the introduction of more modern BRBritish Rail or British Railways single diesel units, 22 was reduced to standby status in 1961, and finally withdrawn in October 1962.[1]

After withdrawal, W22W was stored at Swindon until being bought by the Midland Group of the Great Western Society in 1967. The Railcar left Swindon on 3 May 1967 as part of the DownIn reference to the direction of travel means away from the major terminus (i.e. towards Bridgnorth on the present day SVR) Swindon to Gloucester parcels train, and arrived at Kidderminster as part of another freight train on Friday 5 May. On Friday 12 May it travelled to Alveley Sidings as part of the Alveley empties coal train, from where it was propelled onto the SVRSevern Valley Railway's section of the railway by BRBritish Rail or British Railways's Type 2The British Railways classification for diesel locomotives of 1001 bhp to 1499 bhp diesel after platelayers had temporarily replaced the section of rail normally removed to ensure no unauthorised movements took place across the boundary. On Saturday 13 May 1967 it was collected by 3205 and GWR Brake Composite 6562 and delivered to Bridgnorth.[5][6]

Immediately after arrival, the fuel oil was drained and replaced and the cooling water filled. Initial examination revealed water leaks from the cooling system and water reaching the oil in the sumps of both engines through fractures in the oil coolers. After much work by Don Wilcox and Henry Muller, assisted by other SVRS members, the No 1 engine worked for the first time on Sunday 11 June and on 23 June W22W moved under its own power for the first time.[6]

Restoration at Bewdley, which included repainting in original GWRGreat Western Railway livery as No. 22, was completed in September 1968 by a team led by RW (Bob) Timmins. The final lining, lettering and varnishing were completed 'round the clock' by Bob at Tyseley diesel depot in time for No. 22 to part in the first Tyseley Open Day. The SVRSSevern Valley Railway Society Committee passed a vote of thanks for their work, noting that it was the first restored item of rolling stock at the railway.[8]

Railcar 22 was used during the opening weekend of service in May 1970. On the Saturday the Mayor's speech included an expression of interest in the proposed Saturday shoppers' service to Hampton Loade. No. 22 also worked the Sunday 11.00am departure from Bridgnorth.[9]

The Saturday shopper's service quickly proved popular, being extended throughout the winter season with two round trips from Bridgnorth at 10.30am and 1.00pm. Work on the Underbridge at Hampton Loade in January and February 1971 meant the service terminated north of the bridge with a walkway provided for the final 50 yards to the station.[10]

1974 saw the opening of the line as far as Bewdley. The timetable was planned to include short workings between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade (often referred to as the "shuttle") with a 45 minute interval.[12] Good Friday saw the first passenger services to Highley, with No. 22 working the inaugural service from Bridgnorth to Highley and thereby making the first crossing of passenger services at Hampton Loade with 600 Gordon which had worked ECSEmpty Coaching Stock to Highley earlier that morning. On Saturday 18 May 1974 the first through passenger service from Bridgnorth to Bewdley was also worked by No. 22, with Jinty 47383 operating the Hampton Loade "shuttle". Normal practice became for the shuttle to use the railcar on Saturdays, and a small tank locomotive with 2-3 coaches on Sundays.[13]

By the end of 1974 most passenger departures from Bridgnorth were to Bewdley with the shuttle being lightly loaded. In October 1974 the Railcar's owners G.W. Preservations gave notice of the intention to terminate the current loan agreement with a view to the parties reviewing its future.[note 1] Reporting of this at the 1974 AGM led to some adverse comment from SVRSevern Valley Railway members and in turn ill feeling from GWSGreat Western Society members. The approved 1975 timetable saw the end of the early Saturday shopper service and the shuttle. It also excluded the railcar due to its 'uncertain future'.[14]

In the later part of 1975, the railcar was used occasionally as a standby, all services being timetabled to be steam operated.[15] It saw little further use, and in autumn 1977 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced it would be returning to Didcot at the request of the GWSGreat Western Society after essential maintenance work was carried out.[16] The work was carried out at in the first half of 1978 by a combination of the C&WCarriage & Wagon and Manpower Services Commission teams, after which No. 22 left the SVRSevern Valley Railway.[17][2]

The first generation diesel railcars were used around the Kidderminster / Bewdley / Hartlebury triangle from 1936.[18] However they were not then used on the Tenbury Branch as they were not capable of hauling an extra coach on the steeper gradients involved. The advent of the second generation railcars saw them introduced there from 18 August 1941.[19]

Other GWRGreat Western Railway railcars were also used in service on the Severn Valley and Tenbury branches. In the early 1940s these included streamlined railcars numbers 5, 6 and 7.[3] A photograph by Mike Cuthbert shows W7W at Bewdley on 14 September 1957. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 43 includes a picture of a burned out railcar in the up sidings at Bridgnorth following a serious fire. The caption identifies this as W7W in August 1956, although it is probably W10W which was destroyed in a fire at Bridgnorth on 9 March 1956. W7W survived till 1959.[20]

The page below is extracted from the GWRGreat Western Railway's internal document "GWRGreat Western Railway Birmingham and Worcester Divisions, Working of Coaches (rail motor, auto cars etc), 5 October 1942". It shows the working arrangements for the GWRGreat Western Railway Railcars which were based at Worcester.[note 2] Three cars ("A", "B", and "C") were used daily. "B" mainly served the Severn Valley Branch, including services to and from Highley mainly for the use of miners working at Highley Colliery. "C" mainly served the Tenbury Branch. Both "B" and "C" are referred to as "New type".

The GWR built 38 Railcars between 1933 and 1942. The earliest batch of railcars proved very popular with passengers, and so later batches were fitted with standard buffers and drawgear. This allowed the railcars to tow a coach behind them at peak periods, and also allowed them to act as the local pick-up goods train during off-peak periods - these railcars could often be seen with one or more goods vans in tow on the branch lines. The final four GWR railcars were built as single ended versions with a pair operating back to back, or as a three car unit with a coach sandwiched in the middle - these were the ancestors of the Diesel Multiple Units you can see passing our picnic area on the mainline today.

Number 22 was built in 1940. Accommodation is provided for passengers in two open saloons with a total of 48 seats, and there are driving cabs at each end. It is powered by two AEC 9.6 litre, direct injection 6 cylinder engines through a Wilson epicyclic gearbox. The engines are of very similar specification to those used in London Transport buses for over 50 years. Externally it has been almost completely repanelled and last underwent a complete repaint in 1992/93.

The Railcar entered service from Newport shed on 18 September 1940. She was allocated to a number of different sheds, including Reading, and during her later days she worked around the Worcester area and frequently ventured onto the Severn Valley line. She was withdrawn from service in 1962 and stored at Swindon, from where she was bought by the Midland Group of the Great Western Society for preservation in 1967. She initially worked on the Severn Valley Railway before coming to Didcot in 1978.

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