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Passenger Carrying Coaches
Okehampton
Car Carrier
(1960 – 1964)
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Loading
eight Car-Carriers (GUV vehicles) at Okehampton’s ‘military sidings’ with the
three passenger coaches beyond on Saturday, 30th August 1964. The
locomotive appears to be an air-smoothed Bulleid light pacific. Whilst
neither the train engine or the numbers of the GUV vehicles are known, the
train’s passengers are probably seated in coaches Mk1 SO 4683, Bulleid RS
7881 or BSK 2329. |
Car Carrying Services
British Railways first service to convey both motor
cars and their driver /passengers on the same train commenced in 1955 operating
between London and Perth; this Car-Sleeper service being operated by British
Railways’ Eastern Region. In 1958 this was joined by the Continental
Car Sleeper train from Manchester to Boulogne operating across
Southern Region metals via Dover.
Car Tourist Service
London to Exeter & Barnstaple
Prior to the Okehampton Car Carrier, a Monday to
Friday service from London to Exeter and Barnstaple had been offered with
motorists leaving their motor car at Nine Elms Depot (thence train from
Vauxhall in order to catch one of several designated
Waterloo – Exeter /Barnstaple services). Loaded /unloaded by railway staff,
passenger’s motor cars could be picked up from Exeter Central the next day
(Tues – Sat) after 9.0 a.m at Exeter or 10.15 a.m. at
Barnstaple Junction.
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© Roger Merry-Price collection
1959 was the last year of the Car Tourist Service
from London to Exeter & Barnstaple.
Surbiton
to Okehampton
Car Carrier service
The daytime Surbiton to
Okehampton Car Carrier service came about following a Southern Region managerial
request for service improvements. The (then) Okehampton shed foreman, Arthur
Westlake submitted the idea for a car-carrying service with passengers accompanying
their cars on the same train; this plan included the efficient working of stock.
Management adopted the plan with Arthur Westlake being paid two guineas for his
idea.
|
Okehampton
Car Carrying train utilised the former Military sidings off Tors Road (seen
here in 1912 military use before the Great War). (Glen
Woods collection) |
Accordingly, the Okehampton
Car Carrier service was introduced by British Railways on 18th June
1960 with the first train being hauled from Surbiton to Exeter by rebuilt
Merchant Navy 35029 ‘Ellerman Lines’ with West Country 34023 ‘Blackmore
Vale’ undertaking the return section to /from Okehampton. The passenger rolling stock was Green-liveried BR standard Mk 1
3-Cor set 564 (BSK + CK + BSK) attached to the rear of seven lined-maroon GUV
vehicles (Down direction).
Down Direction
Running Saturdays-only June to September, the summer 1960 timetable shews the Down train
leaving Surbiton at 8.03 a.m. arriving at Okehampton 12.28 pm with the three
passenger coaches placed at the rear of the train behind the GUV vehicles.
The fare for a driver and car was £20 (plus £4 13s
for additional adult passengers). Packed lunches were available at Surbiton.
Examples of packed
meals in a carrier bag.
|
2s 6d. Sausage Roll |
3s. 6d. Ham roll,
hard-boiled egg, |
At Surbiton, motor cars were end-loaded via the
carriage dock in the Down (coal) yard with passengers (including motorists)
boarding the passenger section of the train in one of the adjacent sidings (steps
provided). The train engine then attached the vans in front of the coaches and
the complete train departed for Okehampton where the train was similarly
divided and shunted into the ‘military sidings’ located off Tors Road (Up side to the south-west of Okehampton station) for
unloading /loading; motor cars being driven forwards off and onto the train’s
GUV vehicles.
These end-door equipped GUV vehicles were equipped
with plates to bridge the gap between each and onto the end-loading ramp. The
first motor car loaded would be driven the length of the GUV vehicles to become
first off at the train’s destination; last on would be last off.
Up Direction
The return Up working left Okehampton at 3.55 p.m.
reaching Surbiton at 8.11 p.m. (with the GUV vehicles at the rear of the
train) although with shunting across to the Down side and the subsequent unloading,
motorists could not expect a rapid ‘getaway’ – particularly those who were last
to be loaded at Okehampton.
Having disembarked onto an up-side station platform
at Surbiton, it was not unknown for some motor-car passengers to make their way
home by public transport and put the kettle on in anticipation of their
motor-car driver’s arrival with their vehicle!
|
On
Saturday 30th August 1964 and having drawn forward on the Up Line
around the curve towards Okehampton station, the light pacific train engine
and the three passenger coaches are about to set back to couple onto the GUV
vehicles (their intermediate doors having been closed). However,
the open end-doors suggest the arrival of at least one more motor car is
awaited although departure is now imminent. Following
its departure, only two more Okehampton Car Carrying trains would ever run. On
the Down line the 11.15 a.m. Waterloo to Padstow departs from the station
stop where the train divided into the 3.39 p.m. to Plymouth (front portion)
& 3.55 p.m. to Padstow. (Glen
Woods collection) |
Following the 1962 Transport Act, disbandment of the
British Transport Commission and Dr Beeching’s drive bring the railways back
into profitability through his 1963 report ‘The Reshaping of British
Railways’, there was an imperative to identify and develop profitable
traffics with loss-making or only marginally profitable to either be reorganised
with realistic pricing else withdrawn. Certainly, the Okehampton Car Carrier
service was labour-intensive, its stock-utilisation low and was unlikely to fit
in with plans for the ‘modern’ railway’s nationwide car-carrying services.
Accordingly, the last Surbiton to Okehampton Car Carrier service ran on 12th September 1964.
Offering services from 1965 from Kensington Olympia
to St. Austell & Penzance (along with many other destinations across
England & Scotland), British Rail’s Car Carrying Service (shortly to be
branded ‘Motorail’) was now seen to be the way forward.
Motorail
BR’s 1965 Car
Carrying Service advertised:
‘Go the day before and spend the night in an hotel. Or go the same night by
sleeper.’
The Surbiton to Okehampton Car Carrier service was arguably one of several forerunners of ‘Motorail’ (the name
‘Motorail’ appears to have been in use before it was officially adopted in 1966
when the purpose-built Kensington Olympia terminal was opened).
Initially using GUV vehicles; these were reassigned
to parcels & newspaper traffic as ‘Motorail’ replaced them by ‘Carflats’ built from withdrawn Mk1 coach underframes at
Swindon. This including WR non-corridor Mk1 vehicles some of which had been
introduced by the SR for its Exmouth branch services). However, the GUV
vehicles did reappear in later years in part because their covered nature
protected motor cars from damage and vandalism (particularly sone-throwing) en-route.
|
In
1962 and under the watchful eye of its owners, a Vauxhall Victor is loaded
onto a two-tier Anglo-Scottish TCV vehicle at King’s Cross Goods for its
journey north. ©
British Railways (Glen Woods collection) |
The Eastern Region had previously built (in 1961)
some double-decked car-carrying vans for Anglo-Scottish services; these being
coded TCV ‘Tiered Car Van’ under TOPS.
Unfortunately, as the UK motorway network expanded
and car performance improved, motoring journey times were shortened.
Furthermore, the new High-Speed Train reduced rail journey times and cheaper
air flights meant overseas holidays were becoming more affordable. As the
economic case for ‘Motorail’ diminished and despite expansion up to and
including 1972, route closures commenced from 1975 with the operation started
making a loss in 1989 leading to the cessation of services in 1995.
There was a 1996 car-carrying scheme on the London
to Penzance ‘Cornish Rivera’ sleeper train. Initially a success, the
carriage of cars ceased at summer-end in 2006.
|
Although
not identified as one on the GUV vehicles used for the car-carrying train,
the lined maroon-livery of Pressed Steel-built GUV S86796 is clear when
photographed in Clapham Yard on Thursday, 6th August 1959. ©
Denis Cullum (Mike King collection) |
Surbiton
- Okehampton
Car Carrier
1960
Stabled at Farnham during the week, the SR Western
District CWN for the Summer of 1960 shewed the train initially used seven BR
Standard GUV vehicles. Capable of carrying three motor cars each, these had the
vehicle end loading capability and were fitted with wheel bars for securing
road vehicles. Once loaded the motor cars were held in position by a
securing bar across the front and rear wheels of each.
The GUV vehicles were built by Pressed Steel to lot
no.30565 /diag. no.811 and (in lined-maroon livery) were delivered to the
Southern Region by October 1959; the Southern’s allocation of GUV vehicles
being in the number range S86707 to S86834.
Whilst the Summer
1960 Appendix to the CWN shewed only SR-allocated GUV vehicles, none were
specifically reserved for the Surbiton - Okehampton car-carrying service. This
CWN did not identify any GUV vehicles being loaned to the SR from other
regions.
BR standard 3 Cor
set 564 had been formed at Eardley on 15th February 1957 and had
just been outshopped from an A2 exam at Lancing on 18th May 1960.
Although in green livery, records do not shew it as carrying UIC First-class
cantrail bands on the CK.
30th
July 1960
Due to the increased
demand for First-class accommodation, on 30th July 1960 the BR
Standard 3 Cor set 564 was replaced by a special formation of S6725S (BCK) +
S7616S (FK) + S6731S (BCK) with the luggage compartments of the BCK coaches
positioned adjacent to the FK (i.e. ‘reversed’).
Seven GUV vehicles
formed the van portion of the train; with no guard’s accommodation in these
vans, they were marshalled between the locomotive and three passenger coaches.
3rd
September 1960
Coaches had been
replaced by S6729S (BCK) + S3064 (FO) + S6736S (BCK).
Railway Observer
August 1960
Page 255 ‘West of England Car Carrier – The Saturday car carrier
service between Surbiton and Okehampton is being well patronised and loadings
are close to its capacity of twenty-one cars, conveyed in seven new GUV vans
with standard 3-coach corridor set 564 for passenger accommodation. At Surbiton
cars are loaded at the carriage dock in the down yard and motorists board the
passenger section in one of the adjacent sidings. The train engine (35029, duty
8, on the inaugural journey of 18th June) then attaches the vans in
front of the coaches and the complete train departs from the yard at 8-3 a.m.
On the return journey (34050, duty 7, on 18th June) passengers
alight at Surbiton station, meanwhile a Guildford Mogul has been attached to
the rear of the train to shunt it across to the down yard for unloading; this
engine subsequently disposes of the empty stock to Farnham if Surbiton cannot
accommodate it’.
Railway Observer
October 1960
Page 311 ‘West of England Car Carrier – With reference to the note
on page 255 (August R.O) a description of the procedure at Okehampton may be of
interest. On arrival from Surbiton the train, normally worked by a light
pacific from Exeter (duty 574), runs through and stops just west of the
station. The Okehampton pilot then attaches to the rear and, after the pacific
has uncoupled, draws the complete train back into the up
platform road. The train is then shunted forward into the loading bay on
the up side west of the station, where passengers and cars are disembarked;
meanwhile the Pacific goes on shed to turn for the return journey’.
|
With
its GUV vehicles now in Green livery carrying the red /yellow paper ‘Surbiton
to Okehampton Car Carrier’ destination labels, the 8.01 a.m. from Surbiton
passes through Exeter St David’s on Saturday, 12th August 1961.
Note the maroon van behind the locomotive. Locomotive
is rebuilt Bulleid light pacific no. 34056 ‘Croydon’. Until a number of structures (including Meldon viaduct) were
strengthened in 1960 these rebuilt engines had been prohibited west of Cowley
Bridge Junction. |
1961
To increase the
capacity to twenty-four motor cars, eight BR standard GUV vehicles were now
employed being especially repainted into Green for the summer service
commencing 17th June 1961. These were S86766 + S86805 + S86745 +
S86762 + S86727 + S86730 + S86739 + S86782; all being repainted between March
and early June of that year at Lancing Carriage Works.
That the GUV vehicles changed each year suggests a
significant number (at least) of these vehicles were repainted by the SR into
Green livery; those used on the Okehampton Car Carrier possibly being selected
from early repaints.
GUV
Maroon to Green Lancing Repainting dates
|
No. |
Date. |
No. |
Date. |
|
S86727 |
9-Mar-61 |
S86762 |
14-Mar-61 |
|
S86730 |
1-May-61 |
S86766 |
15-May-61 |
|
S86739 |
8-Jun-61 |
S86782 |
12-May-61 |
|
S86745 |
?-61 |
S86805 |
?-61 |
The passenger accommodation changed again in 1961,
to S4443S (BSO) + S7886S (RS) + S4043 (SO) and GUV vehicles S86766 + S86805 +
S86745 + S86762 + S86727 + S86730 + S86739 + S86782. The 1961 month of painting
S86745 or S86805 into green from lined maroon livery is currently unknown.
Coach no. S4443S (BSO) was an ex.SE division boat
services vehicle. The Kitchen Second (RS) S7886S had formerly running as a part
of Bulleid 6-set 295 but had now been displaced by one of the new Mk 1 RB
vehicles.
During week-ending 29th July 1961 S4437S
(BSO) replaced S4443S and S4042 (SO) replaced S4043 and in August 1961 S7881S
(RS) replaced S7886S (RS).
The train was now
authorised to run peak-Fridays and Sundays. However, the Friday trains were
lightly loaded and most of the Sunday trains were cancelled due to lack of
demand. When it did run on Sunday 13th of August 1961 only four motor cars were
carried.
It was reported by
the SCWS that there was a change from red /yellow-ground to blue /yellow-ground
paper destination labels during 1961.
|
Battle
of Britain 34109 ‘Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory’ and the Down train
leaving Exeter Central on Saturday, 8th September 1962; this
originally being just one of three rebuilt light Pacifics
allocated to Exmouth Junction. Note the car-carrier labels on the vans; these
being stick-on (rather than boards) because the GUV vehicles did not carry destination
board brackets. ©
Ted West (Mike King collection) |
June 1962
The Surbiton to Okehampton Car Carrier was formed
coaches S7881S + S1481S + S4437S and GUV vehicles S86708 + S86712 + S86720 +
S86763 + S86778 + S86790 + S86806 all newly painted Green and branded (paper
strip) ‘Surbiton - Okehampton Car Carrier’. It is possible only seven
GUV vehicles were employed during this year else an eighth was not recorded.
|
West
of Worting Junction and approaching Battledown flyover in 1962, the Okehampton Car Carrier is
hauled by MN 35015 ‘Rotterdam Lloyd’. In the Down direction the eight green
GUV vehicles were marshalled between the locomotive and the three passenger
coaches at the train’s rear. |
June 1963
The Surbiton to
Okehampton Car Carrier was formed coaches S4386S + S7881S + S2529S and GUV vehicles
S86747 + S86787 + S86807 + S86760 + S86738 + S86834 + S86822 + S86752.
In 1962 3 Cor ‘H’
set 864 had been reduced to a 2-set for use on ‘The Royal Wessex’
service. This left Bulleid BSK S2529S ‘Loose’ and so available for inclusion in
the Okehampton Car Carrying train.
|
With
its 3.55 p.m. departure now due, all motor cars having been loaded, the train
engine and three coaches attached, on Saturday, 8th August 1964
the Okehampton Car Carrying train is now waiting for the ‘right-of-way’. On
the Down line West Country class no.34020 ‘Seaton’ pulls away for the station
stop at Okehampton towards Meldon Viaduct thence on its way Padstow; the
11.15 a.m. Waterloo having divided into the 3.39 p.m. to Plymouth (already
departed) & 3.55 p.m. to Padstow. (Glen
Woods collection) |
June 1964
This was the last year of the Surbiton to Okehampton
Car Carrier; ironically the first year it appeared in the public timetable. The
formation is not recorded but probably unchanged since 1963. The last day of
operation was Saturday, 12th September 1964.
On Saturday, 6th June 1964 the Okehampton Car Carrier
was hauled by Hymek type 3 no.D7095 from Exeter finally arriving Clapham Yard (ECS)
in the small hours of Sunday morning. This suggests
it undertook the necessary shunting at Surbiton and it was quite possibly the
stock was now being berthed in Clapham Yard (else the Hymek crew were simply unable to take the stock
to Farnham from Clapham Yard).
A Sundays-only Waterloo to Exeter car carrying
service was also provided during this year with cars being loaded onto a single
GUV which was attached to the 9.0 a.m. Waterloo to Exeter Central and the 4.12
p.m. return.
|
From
set 864 and now ‘Loose’, Bulleid BSK 2529 at Eastleigh on 1st June
1962. The carriage roundel was intended for ‘The Royal Wessex’ but in 1963
this coach appeared in the Okehampton Car Carrying train instead. ©
Ted West (Mike King collection) |
Summary of Passenger Coaches
The following
formations have been identified but may not be fully inclusive.
|
Coach No. |
Type |
Diag
No. |
Builder |
From |
To |
|
34976 |
BSK |
182 |
Met-Cam |
18-Jun-60 |
23-Jul-60 |
|
15892 |
CK |
128 |
Met-Cam |
18-Jun-60 |
23-Jul-60 |
|
34977 |
BSK |
182 |
Met-Cam |
18-Jun-60 |
23-Jul-60 |
|
6725 |
BCK |
2406 |
Bulleid |
30-Jul-60 |
27-Aug-60 |
|
7616 |
FK |
2552 |
Bulleid |
30-Jul-60 |
27-Aug-60 |
|
6731 |
BCK |
2406 |
Bulleid |
30-Jul-60 |
27-Aug-60 |
|
6729 |
BCK |
2406 |
Bulleid |
3-Sep-60 |
10-Sep-60 |
|
3064 |
FO |
73 |
Doncaster (Mk1) |
3-Sep-60 |
10-Sep-60 |
|
6736 |
BCK |
2406 |
Bulleid |
3-Sep-60 |
10-Sep-60 |
|
4043 |
SO |
93 |
Ashf. /Swin. |
Jun-61 |
22-Jul-61 |
|
7886 |
RS |
2660 |
Bulleid |
Jun-61 |
(cont.) |
|
4433 |
BSO |
2654 |
Maunsell |
Jun-61 |
22-Jul-61 |
|
4042 |
SO |
93 |
Ashf. /Swin. |
29-Jul-61 |
(cont.) |
|
7886 |
RS |
2660 |
Bulleid |
(cont.) |
Jul /Aug-61 |
|
4437 |
BSO |
2654 |
Maunsell |
29-Jul-61 |
(cont.) |
|
4042 |
SO |
93 |
Ashf. /Swin. |
(cont.) |
9-Sep-61 |
|
7881 |
RS |
2660 |
Bulleid |
Aug-61 |
(cont.) |
|
4437 |
BSO |
2654 |
Maunsell |
(cont.) |
(cont.) |
|
1481 |
SO |
2017 |
Bulleid |
Jun-62 |
Sep-62 |
|
7881 |
RS |
2660 |
Bulleid |
(cont.) |
(cont.) |
|
4437 |
BSO |
2654 |
Maunsell |
(cont.) |
Sep-62 |
|
4386 |
SO |
93 |
Ashf. /Swin. |
Jun-63 |
Sep-63* |
|
7881 |
RS |
2660 |
Bulleid |
(cont.) |
Sep-63* |
|
2529 |
BSK |
2123 |
Bulleid |
Jun-63 |
Sep-63* |
* Note – 1963
formation may have been used in 1964.
Summary of GUV Vehicles
The following GUV
vehicles have been identified but may not be fully inclusive.
|
GUV |
1960 |
1961 |
1962 |
1963 |
1964 |
|
S86708 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86712 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86720 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86727 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86730 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86738 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86739 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86745 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86747 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86752 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86760 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86762 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86763 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86766 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86778 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86782 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86787 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86790 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86805 |
(Not known) |
Yes |
|
|
(Not known) |
|
S86806 |
(Not known) |
|
Yes |
|
(Not known) |
|
S86807 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86822 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
S86834 |
(Not known) |
|
|
Yes |
(Not known) |
|
No. of GUV
vehicles |
Seven |
Eight |
Seven? |
Eight |
None |
|
*The
photograph taken at Exeter on 12th August 1961 appears to shew a
maroon GUV behind the locomotive and the reason why is unclear; it may have
been a last-minute substitution for a failed GUV or simply insufficient Green
GUVs were available. |
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Maroon to Green Painting Dates
|
The following painting dates of Southern Region-allocated
GUV vehicles from Maroon to BR(S) Green (during A2 exams) have been
identified as follows: |
|||||
|
GUV |
Date |
GUV |
Date |
GUV |
Date |
|
S86730 |
1-May-61 |
S86736 |
4-Oct-61 |
S86810 |
27-Nov-61 |
|
S86766 |
15-May-61 |
S86783 |
20-Oct-61 |
S86822 |
4-Feb-63 |
|
S86782 |
6-Jun-61 |
S86817 |
3-N0v-61 |
S86834 |
12-Feb-63 |
|
S86739 |
8-Jun-61 |
S86787 |
3-Nov-61 |
S86747 |
25-Feb-63 |
|
S86721 |
17-Jul-61 |
S86705 |
15-Nov-61 |
S86752 |
17-May-63 |
|
S86757 |
17-Jul-61 |
S86821 |
23-Nov-61 |
S86760 |
17-May-63 |
|
S86801 |
20-Jul-61 |
S86813 |
24-Nov-61 |
S86738 |
22-May-63 |
|
S86750 |
28-Aug-61 |
S86755 |
27-Nov-61 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prepared by Glen Woods and Colin Watts. Thanks to
historical author Mike King (including permission to use photographs from
his collection), Roger Merry-Price & the Bluebell Railway Museum
Archive, the works of David Gould, Keith Parkin, John Nicolas & George Reeve and contemporary notes made by SC&WS members. |
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Recommended reading is as follows: |
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The Illustrated History of Southern Coaches |
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The Okehampton Line |
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British Railways Mk1 Coaches |
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Bulleid’s SR Steam Carriage Stock |
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Southern Coaches Survey – Pre-grouping and BR MK1 Stock |
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|
Lancing 1956 |
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COPYRIGHT BLOODANDCUSTARD PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYRIGHT AS INDICATED |
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