Talk:GWR Toad

Trains: in UK Low‑importance

Trains Portal

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Trains, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to rail transport on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion. See also: WikiProject Trains to do list and the Trains Portal.TrainsWikipedia:WikiProject TrainsTemplate:WikiProject Trainsrail transport articles

Low

This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

Associated projects or task forces:
/
	This article is supported by WikiProject UK Railways (assessed as Low-importance).

Missing 'Facts'[edit]

Two facts that need to be incorporated when someone (like myself!) finds appropriate references.

Although looking 'right' on a model railway when the verandah end is trailing, in practice I think they were supposed to travel with the verandah facing the engine so that the guard could watch the train. (Having said that, in reality they probably just travelled whichever way they were facing, goods yards not otherwise needing any provision to turn wagons at journey's end.)
Apparently, following pressure from trade unions, Toads had been banned from main line use by 1973. The reason was that the brake wheel was on the open verandah, rather than inside the van, making them less pleasant to use in winter. (From "BR Goods Wagons in Colour" (Robert Hendry), ISBN 1-85780-094-X, p77). This may help explain their high availability for industrial use and consequent preservation (as mentioned in the article). Think we need a better reference.

(This is being written from memory, as I've only just seen the article, sorry!)

EdJogg (talk) 01:16, 14 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Ed. Yes, they just travelled in whichever direction they happened to be facing. I had a good mooch about inside one a few weeks ago. The 'closed' end has a vertical trapdoor in the centre to allow the guard to reach the tail lamp when running veranda-first. -ChrisRed- 86.141.186.252 (talk) 13:21, 15 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]