Coaching stock.

[Ian Scott]

After the get together at Stoke Bruerne, a fabulous day!

My next question to you all is the original types of coaching stock on the predecessors to the SMJR.

The 4 wheel coaches, who were the builder of these vehicles, what varieties (if known) & drawings available nowadays, let alone any "O" gauge kit which may come close to resembling these vehicles; albeit with the aid of kitbashing!

Any advice as always will be greatly appreciated.

[David Blagrove]

All I can definitely assert is that the Midland Railway cascaded one of their earlier clerestory carriages, designed by Clayton, to the railway. I THINK it was acquired by the E&WJR. It appears in a few pictures pre-1922, including one at Blakesley, where the loco has gone off to do some shunting and left it in the down (westward) platform. Hamilton Ellis's "19th Century Railway Carriages" gives some information about early Clayton clerestories, the main point of apparent difference between them and later stock was that the clerestory was on top of a radial roof, the later roofs were elliptical and the end panels were continued up into the clerestory, giving a more elegant appearance. The early Clayton roof was very similar to the clerestories used by the GWR, GER, NER and some diners on the L&SWR. Another one went to one of the Isle of Wight railways and the rails in the tunnel near Ryde St Johns had to be lowered to accommodate it. Presumably it was imported via Ryde Pier. It may have been one of the same job lot, since both the SMJ and one of the IoW railways were managed by the Wilmott family.

[Jim Goodman]

I’ve pondered this question over the years but records are a bit vague on the E & WJ. I’ve searched though several books on LMS coaches but never seen any reference to SMJ coaches, let alone E & W.

You probably know all this but I mention it anyway; in 1909 E & W only had 4 composites, 4 thirds and 8 other coaching vehicles, one of which will be the ex LNWR 4 wheeled coach dating from 1850, latterly used as an inspection saloon. There’s a clear photo of that in Arthur Jordan’s book, I don’t think there are any models for this type of coach, so it would have to be scratch built.

There are several pictures of 4 and 6 wheel coaches in all the books on the SMJ. Highfield O gauge models made a 4 wheel GWR first/third composite that looks very similar to the SMJ coach no. 6, seen on page 82 in Arthur Jordan’s book. Although having 6 wheels in this photo I believe was originally a 4-wheel E & WJ coach, converted to 6 wheels by the SMJ in 1910. Sadly Highfield are no longer in business but Slater’s Plastikard make a 4-wheel GWR first/second composite, again similar but I think the waistband is too narrow on this model. On the plus side Slater’s are still available and easier to make.

Connoisseur models make an all-third 4 wheel coach based on an NER design. Again this is similar to the E & W 4 wheel third. Connoisseur also states that their coaches are very generic and represent typical coaches that were built by all the railway companies, which suggests to me that very few drawings have survived so most modellers are prepared to compromise. The way I see it, if no records have survived who can point out any errors?

As for the brake coaches, from the two SMJ types I’ve seen in photos it would appear that the guard’s compartment is in the middle of the coach with third class compartments each side. This is quite unusual as most brake coaches have the guard’s compartments occupying one end of a coach. I’ve yet to see a model of this type so you might be doing a bit of kit bashing on this.

I hope this is of some use to you.