Barry Railway Coach
BarryRailway Coach No.163 The coach was built in 1895 by Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co., of Manchester for the Barry Railway, in South Wales. It is 33' 11" long by 7'9" over body, and is a first and second composite, having 2 first class compartments seating 6 per compartment, and 3 second class compartments seating 8 per compartment.  Built as a 6 wheeler to Barry diagram 5, originally number 15, then re-numbered 163 in circa 1910, six of these coaches were built in 1895, 163 being the last of that year. Although a second batch were built in 1896 these coaches were built with electric lighting from the start. The 1895 coaches were either converted during the course of construction or very early on in their life. 1896 is the date the G.W.R first installed electric lighting and then only in the Royal Train.
In 1923, The Barry Railway was absorbed into the Great Western Railway and 163 was re-numbered 6058, it was withdrawn on 24th November 1928 at Swindon. After this it was sold, transported to the Clent Hills and used as a holiday home.
	There it remained with sister coach 164 until 1990, when 164 was broken up leaving 163 to the same fate, and can be seen at Clent in the picture above. However, it was saved for preservation and was removed from Clent on 21st April 1992 and arrived at Hampton Loade on the 25th April 1992. This workaday suburban carriage has no individual claim to fame it is merely representative of the turn of the century carriages which were used by the minor railways. However, The Barry, which was a rich railway due to its coal traffic also had an intensive service to-Cardiff Clarence Road operating from. Barry, Porth and Rhymney (Brecon & Merthyr). Tickets have been found inside the coach dated May 1920 and May 1928 from Porth to Cardiff.
In the time that the coach body has been at Hampton Loade, the following has been done: * Installed structural partitions timbers.  * Re-panelled the body with marine plywood.  * Replaced the hardwood body mouldings.  * Had nine of the ten doors re-built including one from scratch.  * Re-canvassed the roof and installed the ventilators.  * Externally wired the roof for internal electric lighting.
A circa 1937 four wheeled steel underframe from an ex Southern Railway ‘Van C’ has been acquired from the Gwili Railway, this is a replacement for the LMS covered carriage truck underframe donated by the Army at Longtown. The reason for the swap being an easier conversion to the correct length to take the coach body as the LMS underframe required lengthening by 3’ 6” whereas the SR example needed shortening which was duly done. The LMS underframe was sold to the Deeside Railway, Scotland for the exact same amount needed to purchase its replacement from the Gwili Railway. The SR underframe arrived at Hampton Loade on 24/2/2001 and prepared for taking the body in a relatively short time but sadly had to wait until 16/8/2003 before the body and underframe were eventually united, thanks to the volunteers of the SVR Bridgnorth crane crew. The coach is now stabled on a truncated siding prepared for the purpose and since the uniting of body and underframe work has included the fitting of vacuum brake gear – since tested and proved to function although not certified as operational.			One of the missing partition walls has now been replaced
The long term aim of having the carriage finished in Barry Railway livery, circa 1910 with a full restored interior (including Lincruster ceilings and gold leaf mouldings) and running on the Severn Valley Railway remains the same. The Project is co-ordinated by David Flavell Tel 01746 861782, contact from anyone interested in providing physical and/or financial support with the restoration would be welcome.
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