Slip Coaches

[Bullhead]

For a long time I've marvelled at the phenomenon of slip coaches - that is, passenger vehicles which were deliberately detached from moving trains and brought to a controlled stop at a station through which the "parent" service passed without calling. Although I generally associate the practice with the GWR I understand that it also happened on, amongst others, the former GER. Does anyone know anything more about these, in particular issues such as -

(1) Was more than one tail lamp carried, so that - once the slip coach had been detached - the rear of the train was correctly protected and could be confirmed as complete on the remainder of its journey?
(2) Was any special braking equipment provided, or did the Guard simply screw down the handbrake using his judgement?
(3) How was the long-standing legal requirement to have a continuous automatic brake throughout the train satisfied?

I'd be fascinated to learn more!

[stembok]

Bullhead: Excellent website on slip coaches with photos and diagrams http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net Hope it helps. Remember last slip coach on B R 10th September,1960 at Bicester on the Paddington -Birmingham route.

[hq1hitchin]

Why the LNER ditched slip coaches, so the olde timers always used to tell me!

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... rd1935.pdf

[Solario]

The two links provide some really good information.

I suspect that the Woodford incident in 1935 lead the LNER to abandon all slip carriage working (in 1936) on both the former GCR & GER lines.

[hq1hitchin]

Oddly enough, I believe the slipping of vehicles on BR was still going on until the 1980s, albeit within an 'absolute possession' when then then world famous 'Derby Research' (remember them?) used to come over onto the WCML with test trains and slip vehicles under test conditions (in daylight) on the Down Slow beyond Coal Yard, just north of Crewe. I used to see the entries in the Weekly Operating Notice but could never be bothered to go and have a look at what was going on. I understand the practice came to an end when there was a minor collision and staff were injured. Anyone provide confirm, please?

[PaulG]

Bullhead

We carried a detailed article on Great Eastern Slip Carriage Services in the April 1995 GERS Journal, written by the late Bernard Walsh. I have extracted a few notes from the article, which hopefully are of interest.

In his article, Bernard states..........

" the practice of detaching loaded passenger carriages from a moving train can be traced back to the operation of the London & Blackwall Railway from its original opening in 1840. However, this is not slip carriage working in its true sense!

The first slip carriages were introduced in February 1858 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway; a portion for Lewes and Hastings at Haywards Heath off the 4pm London Bridge to Brighton.

The GWR commenced slip carriage working in November 1858 and subsequently became the principal exponent of slip carriages (except around 1885 when the GNR lead by a short head).

Between 1858 and the First World War every principle railway in Great Britain used slip carriages at some period with the sole exception of the Highland Railway.

The GER first used slip workings in 1872; from 1890s and into the first few years of the 20th century was second only to the GWR in the extant to which it used slip carriages. In July 1897 the GER had 23 daily slip carriage services.

The was only one reported accident to a GER slip carriage.

After the First World War with labour shortages and the step rise in wages and expenses, many companies were reluctant to revive slip carriage working. The GER did reintroduce slip carriage working; the last slip working on the former GER was at Marks Tey on Friday 30 June 1939. The Marks Tey slip was to convey parcels, mail and newspapers for the Sudbury branch. The fact that it was also available for passengers is really coincidental, arisng from the fact that there were no slip carriages which did not include passenger accomodation.

The GWR was the only company to revive slip working after the Second World War; the last working was at Bicester off the 5.10pm Paddington to Wolverhampton on Friday 9 September 1960."

Regards
Paul

[Eric Stuart]

I have followed this thread with interest.

The report on the Woodford incident is of perticular interest, as incidents with slip coaches seem to have been rare. Since they break the rule of 'one train in one section at one time' and the breaking distance between the slip and the train is inadequate until the main trian pulls clear and the slip looses momentum, this is remarkable and shows the discipline and professionalism of the staff. Moreover, in many cases, the points were changed in front of the moving slip, to divert it into a line different from that used by the main train.

I have a book given me in 1950, showing a GWR parcels train slipping at bedminster. The slip vehicle in non-passenger, as are all the vehicles.

This may seem unfair to ask in a regional web-site, but does anybody know:
1 - How widespread were non-passenger slips? Were they peculiar to the GWR?
2 - When did they finish?

Not mentioed in the thread, but some stations sites had slipping signals, to re-assure the slip vehicle guard of the state of the line ahead.

[L&Y Man]

Bullhead

We carried a detailed article on Great Eastern Slip Carriage Services in the April 1995 GERS Journal, written by the late Bernard Walsh. I have extracted a few notes from the article, which hopefully are of interest.

In his article, Bernard states..........

" the practice of detaching loaded passenger carriages from a moving train can be traced back to the operation of the London & Blackwall Railway from its original opening in 1840. However, this is not slip carriage working in its true sense!

The first slip carriages were introduced in February 1858 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway; a portion for Lewes and Hastings at Haywards Heath off the 4pm London Bridge to Brighton.

The GWR commenced slip carriage working in November 1858 and subsequently became the principal exponent of slip carriages (except around 1885 when the GNR lead by a short head).

Between 1858 and the First World War every principle railway in Great Britain used slip carriages at some period with the sole exception of the Highland Railway.

The GER first used slip workings in 1872; from 1890s and into the first few years of the 20th century was second only to the GWR in the extant to which it used slip carriages. In July 1897 the GER had 23 daily slip carriage services.

The was only one reported accident to a GER slip carriage.

After the First World War with labour shortages and the step rise in wages and expenses, many companies were reluctant to revive slip carriage working. The GER did reintroduce slip carriage working; the last slip working on the former GER was at Marks Tey on Friday 30 June 1939. The Marks Tey slip was to convey parcels, mail and newspapers for the Sudbury branch. The fact that it was also available for passengers is really coincidental, arisng from the fact that there were no slip carriages which did not include passenger accomodation.

The GWR was the only company to revive slip working after the Second World War; the last working was at Bicester off the 5.10pm Paddington to Wolverhampton on Friday 9 September 1960."

Regards
Paul

About 25 years ago, the 15 in gauge Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway was granted special permission from the Ministry of Transport to operate a slip carriage on a certain anniversary weekend. The last carriage was slipped at Muncaster Mill and returned to Ravenglass behind "Synolda". I was sitting in this carriage awaiting departure when two women approached and asked me if the train stopped at Muncaster Mill. They treated my reply, that the train didn't but the carriage would by the simple expedient of the guard "pulling out the pin" as we passed, with looks of incredulity. The looks on the faces of people watching over the fence at Muncaster Mill also were very amusing!

L&Y Man

[richard]

Back to the original query, the NER also had slip coaches.

I received a written reply from Ian Sadler with the answer to my query about lamps on NER brake vans. He went on to detail the lamp arrangements for slip coaches. Both the slip coach and the "new end of train" had lamps, but in different configurations.


Richard