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Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)
The prototype coaches were constructed between 1914 and 1920 made of steel body sides with an absence of panelling but with bolection mouldings around the windows and frosted glass top light windows, sitting on Churchward 9’-0” bogies. They were designed to operate as a set comprising Left hand and right-hand Brake Thirds, 1 or 2-Thirds and left hand and right-hand Composites enabling all corridor windows to be displayed on the same side, commonly used for cross country and main line working between cities.
Chassis
Body
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Dapol GWR Corridor Toplight 1935 Chocolate & Cream Roundel Composite LH 6942 is a 00‑gauge railway model produced by Dapol. The item is listed under the manufacturer part number 4P‑021‑302 and represents a coach from the “Big Four” era, covering the Great Western Railway alongside the LNER, LMS and SR.
The prototype coaches were built between 1914 and 1920. They feature steel side panels with bolection mouldings around the windows and frosted‑glass toplight windows, and they run on Churchward 9‑ft‑0‑in bogies. The design was intended for mixed‑traffic sets that could include left‑hand and right‑hand brake thirds, 1‑ or 2‑thirds and left‑hand and right‑hand composites, allowing all corridor windows to face the same side for cross‑country and main‑line operation.
The chassis includes die‑cast frames with two stamped metal compensation beams that provide wheel‑bearing electrical pick‑up via stub axles. Two styles of under‑frame truss rods are offered, and the couplings are close‑coupled on a cam to negotiate R2 (438 mm) curves, with NEM pockets for magnetic couplings or the option to fit traditional NEM‑compatible couplings. Wheels are for 00‑gauge (16.5 mm) but have clearance for 18.2 mm gauge wheels, with axles 26 mm over the end points, and sprung metal buffers are fitted.
The body is supplied in separate ABS‑plastic side panels. Gap‑free corridor connections allow operation on R2 curves, and each passenger compartment contains a separately fitted luggage rack. Period‑appropriate roof ventilators, metal door and commode handles, and destination boards are provided separately for fitting. All coaches include interior lighting and a DCC decoder plug with a blanking plug.