GWR railcars

The GWR railcars were a series of diesel railcars introduced by the Great Western Railway in 1933 that stayed in regular use into the 1960s, when British Rail first-generation diesel multiple units replaced them. The streamlined bodies of the first examples earned them the nickname flying banana, and later units had a more angular razor-edge shape. The prototype, number 1, was built by Hardy Rail Motors, a subsidiary of AEC, and made its first run between London Paddington and Reading on 1 December 1933. Units from number 2 to 7 had two engines and could reach 80 mph, and some were built with a buffet and lavatories for long-distance express services such as Birmingham Snow Hill to Cardiff, among the first diesel express services in Britain. Later units were fitted with steam heating so they could haul trailers. The preserved W4W shows the original rounded body.