In February 1935 the GWR placed an order for 10 railcars to the same basic design as numbers 5-7 which were under construction at Gloucester. Numbers 8,9 and 13-16 were to the same plan as numbers 5-7 with seats for 70 passengers, while 10-12 were to be equipped with a lavatory, reducing passenger seating to 63. The last car, number 17, was to be completed as an express parcels car without windows but with double luggage van doors at each end and retaining the central sliding door. As the cars were intended to operate singly only basic plunger buffers were fitted along with a basic emergency towing connection, maintaining the clean curved lines of the ends and the bogies were covered with valances, though these proved an obstacle to efficient maintenance of the axle drive gearboxes and were soon discarded.
The cars were powered by 2 AEC 8.85 litre 130bhp engines, each driving a gearbox and carden shaft drive to one bogie. Experience from the earlier cars was incorporated, making the engines designed for motor buses more robust for the rougher railway environment and adding extra oil coolers to address high coolant temperatures encountered during prolonged fast running.
The Gloucester built railcars weighed around 18 to 18 tons and had a maximum speed of 80mph, with most remaining in service until the late 1950s, though 9 had been withdrawn following a fire in 1946
The next car number 18 was fitted with a standard coupling hook and side buffers as a trail for branchline service where the capability of hauling a trailer (autocoach), van or horsebox was desirable. The success of this trial resulted in the later Swindon built 'razor edge' railcars being fitted with standard drawgear.
The Dapol Streamlined rail car includes the following features
- Accurately moulded body and accurately applied livery and decoration
- Metal sprung buffers
- 5 pole Super creep motor for superbly controllable slow running speed
- All wheel drive and pick up
- Directional lights
- Interior lighting
- DCC Ready with provision for a 21 pin decoder
- Accessory bag with optional fitted components
- New variant includes new body shell, new glazing and new interior with a fine representation of the parcel shelving