GWR 'toplight mainline city' coaches announced for 'OO'

Dapol has revealed that its design team has received the Engineering Prototype (EP) models of a new series of 'toplight mainline city' coaches and is in the process of reviewing these. Dapol is to produce an all-third, composite and brake-third coaches which are the perfect companion to its newly-released 61XX 'Prairie' 2-6-2. Artworks for the new models are being generated by its graphics team and are to undergo review.

Dapol expects to receive decorated samples for its first three liveries in Q2 2022, and production to be completed towards the end of Q3 2022. A planned three-month gap between the first and second phases of production has been highlighted, with the manufacturer anticipating that production of all models will be completed by the end of the year.

Phase one of production will comprise coach sets one, three and six. Its second phase of production will see coach sets two, four and five being produced. More details on this project are anticipated later this year, but for now, a promising specification has been revealed.

As well as an impressive selection of aesthetic details, coaches will feature kinematic couplings in NEM pockets including a special coupling bar for more prototypical close coupling. Coaches are expected to be capable of negotiating R2 radius curves, have sprung metal buffers, internal lighting and a directional tail lamp.

Coaches can be optionally DCC-fitted with a six-pin decoder such as its Imperium Four. A working directional tail lamp is to be fitted to the Guard end of brake third carriages. Bodies are injection-moulded body, with bolection window mouldings and frosted toplight windows, while chassis will be die-cast. Separate metal door and commode handles, wire end handrails and separately-applied end communication details are also fitted.

The number of roof ventilators fitted will vary between models, in accordance with the prototypes, while underneath vehicles, a detailed chassis with vacuum tanks, battery boxes and brake linkages will feature.

9ft bogie bolsters with die-cast side frames and split axles for electrical pick-ups are fitted.

Interiors are detailed, with period-specific decorations said to be applied.

The following variants are proposed:

Coach Set No. One

• (4P-020-001) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson Third Brake 3747 Set 1
• (4P-020-002) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson Third Brake 3748 Set 1
• (4P-020-011) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson All Third  3901 Set 1
• (4P-020-012) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson All Third  3902 Set 1
• (4P-020-021) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson Composite 7901 Set 1
• (4P-020-022) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Crimson Composite 7902 Set 1

Coach Set No. Two

• (4P-020-101) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream Third Brake 3749 Set 2
• (4P-020-102) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream Third Brake 3750 Set 2
• (4P-020-111) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream All Third 3903 Set 2
• (4P-020-112) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream All Third 3904 Set 2
• (4P-020-121) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream Composite 7903 Set 2
• (4P-020-122) GWR Toplight M/Line City Lined Chocolate & Cream Composite 7904 Set 2

Coach Set No. Three

• (4P-020-201) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream Third Brake 3751 Set 3
• (4P-020-202) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream Third Brake 3752 Set 3
• (4P-020-211) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream All Third 3905 Set 3
• (4P-020-212) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream All Third 3906 Set 3
• (4P-020-221) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream Composite 7905 Set 3
• (4P-020-222) GWR Toplight M/Line City Twin City Chocolate & Cream Composite 7906 Set 3

Coach Set No. Four (Currently awaiting artwork)

• (4P-020-301) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton Third Brake 3753 Set 4
• (4P-020-302) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton Third Brake 3754 Set 4
• (4P-020-311) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton All Third 3907 Set 4
• (4P-020-312) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton All Third 3908 Set 4
• (4P-020-321) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton Composite 7907 Set 4
• (4P-020-322) GWR Toplight M/Line City GWR Shirtbutton Composite 7908 Set 4

Coach Set No. Five (Currently awaiting artwork)

• (4P-020-401) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown Third Brake 3755 Set 5
• (4P-020-402) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown Third Brake 3756 Set 5
• (4P-020-411) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown All Third 3909 Set 5
• (4P-020-412) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown All Third 3910 Set 5
• (4P-020-421) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown Composite 7909 Set 5
• (4P-020-422) GWR Toplight M/Line City All Brown Composite 7910 Set 5

Coach Set No. Six

• (4P-020-501) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Second Brake 3757 Set 6
• (4P-020-502) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Second Brake 3758 Set 6
• (4P-020-511) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Second 3911 Set 6
• (4P-020-512) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Second 3912 Set 6
• (4P-020-501) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Composite 7911 Set 6
• (4P-020-502) GWR Toplight M/Line City BR Maroon Composite 7912 Set 6

The under frame of the die-cast chassis reveals detail with braking apparatus, vacuum tanks and battery boxes. Some of the brake rigging is said to yet be fitted to the underside of the samples on show, but will appear in later decorated samples.

Coach interiors will have two decoration variants, representing early or later decoration styles of the prototypes. The artwork for these can be seen below: 

The first order for the GWR Main Line and City Toplight coaches was placed in 1915 but due to WWI these weren't built until 1920. The second batch was completed in 1921. Six sets of coaches were produced with a set comprising six coaches. Coaches were close-coupled and constructed with a steel body rather than traditional wooden paneling.

Due to the restrictive loading gauge of the London underground tunnels, the vehicles were 7in lower than other contemporary coaches, which enabled them to travel directly to Aldgate and Liverpool Street, on the Metropolitan Underground system. The coaches were originally used for commuter traffic from the likes of Reading and Windsor into the City of London. At the start of WWII, this service was curtailed. However, after WWII and into BR days, the coaches could be found on services further afield.

The coaches started to be removed from revenue earning service in December 1956 and all had been removed by December 1957. There was only one significant change made to the design during the lifetime of the coaches which was the removal of one roof ventilator from each compartment.

In 1958, two brake third coaches and one all third coach were converted into workmen's coaches for the miner's service between Glyncorrwg and North Rhondda Halt, this was a former branch line of the South Wales Mineral Railway. The main changes were the addition of an extra window in the end of the guard's luggage area and a fitting of a gong to the same end of the coach. This makes coaches 3755, 3756 and 3910 the last three coaches in service. 3755 is fully preserved at Didcot Railway Centre with 3756 being partially restored.

For current pricing, see the Dapol website.