LNWR PUSH-PULL Carriages On Bolton Great Moor Street Lines By Ian Tattersall

These notes were recently sent to me by Ian Tattersall, as an appendix to his and Philip A Millard’s book L&NWR Non-Corridor Carriages, published by the L&NWR Society in 2006. Harry Jack.

I have researched details of the push-pull carriages depicted in photographs, mainly by W D Cooper, which appear in the books Railways in and around Bolton by Bill Simpson (Foxline, 1990), A Lancashire Triangle, Part One by D J Sweeney (Triangle Publishing, 1996), and Plodder Lane for Farnworth by Bert Holland (Triangle Publishing, 2001).
References to ‘Millard’ in the notes are to the book L&NWR Non-Corridor Carriages by Philip A Millard and myself (L&NWR Society, 2006).
Drawings of non-driving trailers are not included here; on conversion to motor vehicles changes simply involved the addition of an extra vacuum connection and an extra jumper cable to enable communication by bell-code between the driving cab and the loco.

Railways in and around Bolton
Plate 181:
A Kenyon Junction to Bolton train on Chequerbent incline. The leading carriage is a driving trailer composite diagram M.25 converted from a D.285 third; the accommodation was arranged: D+Lu 1 1 3 3 3 3. Note two compartments were used for the driver & luggage compartment, the partition between them having been removed. The other six compartments remained the same original size, conversion being limited to re-upholstery of the first class to provide eight seats in each, in place of twelve in the third class. The running number is not known, but the four M.25s were numbered 17963/4/6 & 7.
For non-driving end elevation of M.25 (and M.26, below) see Millard page 68, ‘End A’.
The second carriage is an eight-compartment trailer third diagram M.57; these were numbered 15828 – 36 and were converted from D.285 (see Millard page 70).

A Lancashire Triangle, Part One
Page 64, plate 74:
A push-pull train for Bolton leaving Kenyon Junction. The leading coach is a driving trailer composite diagram M.26; this sole example was numbered 17965. Like M.25 it was converted from a D.285 with two compartments used in the same way to form the driver and luggage compartment but the doors were arranged differently. The passenger accommodation was identical to M.25.
The second carriage is trailer third M.55 number 15837, converted from D.284 (see Millard page 108).
Page 146, plate 182:
A Manchester Exchange to Bolton train of five carriages headed by a two-coach push-pull set. The leading coach is a motor brake composite diagram M.20 number 17975. This was converted from third class D.284 and was arranged: D+Lu 1 1 1 3 3 3. Again, the first two compartments became the driver and luggage compartment, and the passenger compartments remained the same size despite being in two classes.
For non-driving end elevation see Millard page 108, ‘End B’.
The second coach is a trailer third diagram M.62 – see Millard page 54 (drawing) and page 59 (photograph).
The other three carriages appear to be an ex-Midland low roof set, forming an evening commuter train.
Page 148, plate 186:
A Manchester Exchange to Bolton train, a two-coach push-pull set. The leading coach is a driving trailer composite M.32 and appears to be 17971. There were four of these but only three lasted to be renumbered under the 1932 scheme, numbers 17970/1 & 4. They were converted from four firsts/three thirds composite D.187, and were arranged: D+Lu 1 1 1 3 3 3, with one first class compartment having been used for the driver and luggage.
For non-driving end see Millard page 13, ‘End C’.
The second coach was trailer third M.74 number 15850 and is a rare conversion of a ‘toplight’ carriage to D.283 (see Millard, page 120).

Plodder Lane for Farnworth
Page 95:
A magnificent W D Cooper photograph revealing a lot of detail of the driving end of the leading coach. Note the guard irons on the bogie and sand pipes used for assistance with braking, also the additional jumper cable beneath the centre window – part of the equipment for communication between driving cab and loco footplate. Note too, the bars on the windows of the luggage compartment.
The coach is a driving trailer third, diagram M.54, arranged: D+Lu 3 3 3 3 3 3. It is numbered 15808 and was converted from D.284, two compartments used to create the driver/luggage area without a bulkhead between them. The remainder of the coach is six equally sized third class compartments. The coach is identical to the M.20 driving composite apart from the class differences.
For non-driving end see Millard page 108, ‘End B’.
The second coach is a trailer composite diagram M.29, there being four of these numbered 17986-9, arranged: 3 3 1 1 1 1 1, and were converted from D.182 (see Millard, page 70.)
I think this would provide an unusually high proportion of first class seats for the train: 40 first and 96 third class, so some of the firsts would be downgraded to thirds temporarily, by means of paper labels on the compartment window, approximately three inches square and reading: “This compartment is for the use of Third Class passengers”.