METROPOLITAN RAILWAY

METROPOLITAN RAILWAY RIGID EIGHT WHEELERS

The Metropolitan Railway built large numbers of eight wheeled carriages for all of their steam hauled services. Unusually they did not run on bogies, but relied on sliding axle boxes and long pendulum suspension links to get them round curves.
With the electrification of the urban part of the Metropolitan system in 1905-6, most of these carriages became redundant. Many were scrapped, at least 22 were sold to French light railways, 10 were sold to the BPGVR in Wales and 76 were retained by the Metropolitan. Of this latter group 30 were made up into six coach sets for relief and excursion trains.
In 1909 many of these retained carriages were refurbished, which altered the paneling arrangements considerably. It is these refurbished carriages which are represented by our kits.
In 1911 twelve carriages were sold to a Mr. Frazer. It is almost certain that eight of these refurbished vehicles went to the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway, which already had ten of the original type. They were all inherited by the GWR at grouping, and were scrapped in 1924/25.
Another seven carriages found their way to South Wales when the Rhymney Railway bought a batch of thirds and brake thirds in 1914. Only a few of these were absorbed by the GWR and were scrapped in 1925. Others went to the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway in Hampshire. This later became Longmoor Military Railway.
The largest batch, of eighteen, was sold to the Isle of Wight Railway in 1914. They were formed into three 6-car sets (which were reduced in winter) with two ex-LSWR brake vans. There were five full thirds, three composites and ten firsts. They were inherited by the Southern and lasted until 1928/29. In fact most of the bodies are still in existence, having been used as beach huts at St. Helens. Some of these are earmarked for restoration on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

4C120 8 COMPARTMENT THIRD	4C121 7 COMPARTMENT BRAKE THIRD
As well as running on the Metropolitan, six were on the BPGVR, several on the Rhymney and five on the IWR.	Because in photographs they are almost indistinguishable from full thirds it is likely that some went to the BPGVR, RR and IWR.
4C122 6 COMPARTMENT BRAKE THIRD	4C123 7 COMPARTMENT COMPOSITE
Two were sold to the BPGVR and some may have been included in the Rhymney batch, but none went to the IWR.	Three were sold to the Isle of Wight Railway.
4C124 6 COMPARTMENT FIRST
Ten were sold to the IWR although one was an un-repanelled one. All were reclassified as composites or even full thirds.

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