The Caves Express
1936-1948 – SUB set 108 – HR-Front-B&B, BR-B&B, RBR-B&B, BR-B&B, FR-B&B, FR-B&B, HR-B&B
The R-Type corridor cars were constructed between 1931 and 1946, a total of 109 cars of BR, CR, FR, HR, RBR and RFR type were built, all as conversions from older Express Lavatory cars. They were built from existing cars with a basic Mansard style roof shape. The original underframe and roof were retained, with new sides, ends and interiors.
These coaches had a long and varied life - initially they were designed to service the medium distance country traiin workings, and provided Buffet facilities for all passengers via interconnecting gangways between cars. The brake seconds at the outer ends of the set had connecting gangways, so if any extra corridor cars were attached, they were able to access the buffet facilities.
These R-Type corridor cars were worked generally as sets. As the sets got older, carriages beyond repair were taken out of the sets without replacement, and the remainder of the cars lasted until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.