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Dapol 4P-020-411

GWR Toplight Mainline City GWR All Brown All 3rd 3909 S5

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

The first order for these coaches was placed in 1915 but, due to the First World War, they were not built until 1920. The second batch was completed in 1921. Six sets of coaches were produced with each set comprising six coaches. The coaches were close coupled and constructed with a steel body rather than the traditional wooden panelling. Due to the restrictive loading gauge of the London Underground tunnels, the carriages are 7 inches lower than other contemporary carriages of the time. This 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 the Second World War this service was curtailed. However, after the war and into BR days the coaches could be found on services much further afield.

The coaches started to be removed from revenue-earning service in December 1956 and all gone 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.

1n 1958, two brake third coaches and one all third coach were converted into workmen's coaches for the miners service between Glyncorrwg and North Rhondda Halt, which 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 guards 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.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

The Dapol OO gauge GWR Toplight Mainline City coaches are being produced in a variety of liveries, including a GWR brown livery. The coaches are highly detailed and feature accurate injection moulded bodies, bolection window mouldings and frosted Toplight windows. They also have separate metal door and commode handles, wire end handrails and separately applied end communication details.

The coaches are built to a high standard, with a highly detailed chassis featuring vacuum tanks, battery boxes and brake linkages. The bogie bolster is 9ft long and has diecast side frames and split axles for electrical pickup. The interior of the coaches is also highly detailed, with period-specific decorations applied.

The technical specification of the coaches includes kinematic couplings with NEM pockets and a special coupling bar to give close coupling. They can negotiate R2 radius curves and come with sprung metal buffers. The coaches are also equipped with internal lighting and a directional tail lamp, and can be optionally fitted with a six-pin decoder such as the Dapol Imperium Four.

The Dapol GWR Toplight Mainline City coaches are modelled on the real-life coaches built by Swindon Works between 1920 and 1921. Six sets of coaches were produced, each comprising six coaches, and were used for commuter traffic from places such as Reading and Windsor into the City of London. The coaches were later used on services further afield and were eventually withdrawn from revenue-earning service in 1957.