Carriages (1)

The history of carriage development on the L&YR contains a great many parallels with the locomotive story, not least during the 1880’s when money was spent and developments were made.

Like many other railways early Manchester and Leeds carriages were based on stage coach design but the Company seems to have been more parsimonious than most concerns. Its earliest third class vehicles were built not only without roofs but without seats as well: this was so they could double as horse boxes, however they did have brakes! It was well into the 1840s before all carriages had roofs.

The East Lancashire Railway benefited by being later on the scene for all its carriages could be built to higher specifications. The company also benefited from having a capable Carriage and Wagon superintendent in James Newall who believed in better braking and patented a successful continuous system in 1852. Fortunately the patent drawings give a good idea of the general style of his carriage design. His L&Y counterpart, Charles Fay, had his mechanical braking system in place by 1857 and all L&YR trains, including the ex-ELR designs, were continuously braked from October 1860. By this time new carriages were 26ft 6in long and 8ft wide with five compartments - the equivalent of 50 seats. However comfort was hardly considered, no lighting or heating of any sort was available to Third Class, nor was there any upholstery or cloth on the seats. The Board of Directors were reluctant spenders on locomotive affairs, and carriages were no different. Whitsuntide excursionists of 1860 could expect to be transported, as in previous years, in cattle wagons fitted with “portable roofs and seats”: It was well known that there would be insufficient carriages available.

Although there were trials to develop various items of rolling stock it was during the reign of F. Attock, the new C&W Superintendent, who was appointed in 1877, before any real improvements for passengers were made. His time at Newton Heath saw the greatest advances from more primitive stock to sumptuous bogie coaches. The 1879 stock return shows 1,826 carriages of which 1,088 were Third Class, all were 4 wheeled. However in the next 15 years Attock introduced:

• 6 wheel stock (1880),
• standard carriage livery (1881),
• the automatic vacuum brake (1881 but not completed until 1888),
• lighting for all carriages (oil or gas) by 1882,
• bogie stock and lavatories in 1884,
• upholstery in all carriages (even excursion) by 1887,
• arm rests (1887),
• photographs in carriages (1888) 
• steam heating in 1892.

However it was 1890 before bogie stock began to multiply with new orders such as 48 carriages 46ft long built for £698 each.

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