The Diagram 7 Locker Composite
The 52ft Luggage Composite with 3 x 1st Class and 4 x 3rd Class compartments, code XCG or XCGV in the carriage roster, was built from 1896 to 1906. 138 examples in total, with only 1904 seeing none produced.
As the 52ft type they were built for long distance passenger trains, particularly express passenger trains between Newcastle and Liverpool. 3rd Class and 1st Class compartments offered more legroom than the 49ft type of carriage. The luggage compartment was convenient for keeping baggage close by on long distance trains. The archives & old police photographs show that the theft of luggage was a real risk at larger, busier stations, with even an army captain being convicted of the offence at Edinburgh Waverley.
However, the 1908 arrival of vestibuled stock with corridor connections meant the previous generation of carriages lacking corridor connectors were cascaded to lesser services. In 1926 the 52ft carriages form the core of the 19 rakes designated as "main line sets" in the carriage roster. However, no Diagram 7 XCG and XCGV found homes in those 19, all of which covered long distance journeys over their roster period of 19 weeks. The lavatory in the Diagram 5 XCL (4-3) was a better choice when paired with an XT and 2 diagram 18 XB (3) offering a large van capacity at each end of the main line set.
I have been looking for the XCG (3-4) in the roster.
In what was the former N.E.R. Northern Division I found 45 XCG (3-4) at work in 1926.
Tweedmouth - 2 XCG with sets 22 and 23, the
Berwick and St Boswell's sets having one each.
Carlisle, Hexham and Newcastle - 10 XCG were assigned to the ten
Newcastle, Carlisle and Blackhill sets, numbers 55 through 65.
Newcastle and Riccarton - 2 XCG in set 68 as well as a further two in set 68a. These sets are the
Newcastle and Riccarton sets and are not prefixed as NB XCG to indicate "
foreign stock". The 2 XB(3) in each set similarly are not listed as NB XB(3).
newcastle - 1 in set 71, a made up set working one daily return trip between Newcastle and Morpeth during the early morning, which is hardly a long distance trip. Perhaps the locker was used for newspapers, though the set also ran with the almost ubiquitous Diagram 18 XB(3), providing quite an amount of van space.
Blyth, Morpeth and Newbiggen - one each in the three sets 81, 82 and 83.
Darlington - The 6
Saltburn to Darlington sets, numbers 141 through 146, with one XCG in each 6 carriage set, along with 2 diagram XB(3), a diagram 5 XCL(4-3) and 2 XT, which could be one of any number of different diagrams, though the 167 diagram 14s were their closest contemporary. By 1926 the diagram 127 was also quite numerous with 87 built.
Darlington - The 5 four-carriage
Darlington Link A sets, which again, like the Saltburn sets each have an XCG. This time the sets have a pair of XB(4), probably diagram 76 XB(4), one at each end, so rather less van space that the Saltburns, though they did roam further, as far as Kirkby Stephen, Tebay and Penrith. This duty is the closest long distance work they had compared to their halcyon days, though at a more sedate pace.
Darlington - The 8
Darlington Link C sets, numbers 168 though 175 each have one, while the brakes were two XB(5), probably diagram 77 XB(5), offering even less space than the Link As. The Link Cs operated across southern County Durham and to Richmond in North Yorkshire, though one did work up to Newcastle while another worked at least once a day to Battersby on the line to Whitby.
Shildon -1,
Shildon relief set, number 180. which roamed between Crook, Bishop Auckland and Sunderland on Saturdays only.
Hartlepool - 6 XCG. 1 in set 215, 1 in 216 with another 2in set 225. Number 215 is the Hartlepool relief set, while 216 and 225 are
made up sets. Set 215 kept close to Hartlepool on Monday to Fridays but spread its wings on Saturdays, going as far as Newcastle. 216 was only scheduled to work on Saturdays, with a trip to WIngate and two out to Ferryhill. Set 225 only worked on Fridays with one evening trip to Harrogate, returning empty. It had 2 XTs and 2 XB(5) in the six-carriage set. The remaining 2 XCGs found themselves in sets 217 and 218, which were both described as
West Hartlepool and Darlington portions. They were paired with an XB(5) and were both attached to four different sets daily. They were as described, working between West Hartlepool and Darlington, though one trip was only as far as Eaglescliffe. In effect full time strengthening carriages with dedicated routing.
Middlesbrough district - 2 XCG. Assigned as strengtheners. 1 at Middlesbrough with two WT on hand to strengthen set number 193 at 12.50 pm on Saturdays for the remainder of the day. Ended up at Guisborough at 11.32 pm. 1 at Saltburn on hand daily to attach to set 175 at 8.26 am, coming off at Middlesbrough at 9.57 am. Technically, this makes it available to attach to set 193 on Saturdays but there is no explicit means mentioned in the carriage roster as to how it got from Guisborough at 11.32 pm Saturday to Saltburn before 8.26 am. There are two candidates. The Monday 5.14 am steam autocar set 193 to Middlesbrough, with another train taking it onwards to Saltburn, or the more direct 6.47 am departure of set 193 from Guisborough to Saltburn, arriving 7.51 am. Neither attachment is officially recorded in the carriage roster, so for now I will treat the Saltburn XCG as a separate carriage. Makes it 45 at work in the former northern division.
In what was the former N.E.R. Southern Division I found 12 at work in 1926.
Scarborough - 2.
Set 244, the
Scarborough and Hull set there was a single XCG. Despite its name, it went from Hull to York on one round trip daily. A Club Saloon was attached for the 8.25 am Scarborough to Hull and 5.8 pm return.
Set 274, the
No.2 Scarborough and Pickering set has a single XCG(3-4), working with two XB(5).
York - 2.
Set 247 is the first mention of an XCGV, the
York and Doncaster set, paired with an XBV(5). Three round trips daily. Any diagram 7 XCG which worked in the Liverpool sets would have been an XCGV but no numbers exist for how many were so fitted. At least one in 1926.
Set 289,
made up set. Unusually, it has just two XT for company, no XB, XC or XF. Mondays only operated to Normanton, departure 1.40 am, returning 8.58 am attached to set 230. The 1.40 am was set 8 MX, a main line set.
Harrogate - 3.
Set 314, the
Harrogate and Bradford set was home to one more XCG and in the rare company of an XFL and two XB(6). Only four diagram 86 XFL were built. The XB(6) were possibly either the single diagram 128, number 1046 of 1907 or one of only eight diagram 144s built in 1908. The XCG, itself a relatively specialist carriage was the most common bird in this flock! Set 314 also worked with two club saloons, a First and a Third, from Harrogate to Bradford during the morning, returning on the evening, though Saturdays saw them return on the 12.6 pm.
Set 330, the
Harrogate and Ilkley set. This four-carriage set was quite upmarket, with 53 First Class seats, but not as much as set 314, working with a diagram 5 XCL(4-3) and two diagram 77 XB(5).
Set 331, the
Harrogate and York set. Working with two diagram 77 XB(5). A one-way Harrogate to York journey during the morning but the evening was more complex. York to Wetherby via Harrogate, return to Harrogate and then one more evening round trip between Harrogate and Wetherby, with two on Saturday evenings. The 11.0 pm Saturday departure from Harrogate would have been popular after an evening out at the theatre, cinema or dance hall.
Leeds - 1.
Set 337, the
Leeds and Thorpe Arch set. Working with an XB(6) on one round trip Saturdays excepted.
Hull - 4.
Set 350 to 353, the
Hull Link A sets. Five carriage sets with diagram 7 XCG(3-4), diagram 5 XCL(4-3), one XT and two diagram 18 XB(3).
The whole N.E. Area had use for 57 XCG (3-4) carriages on scheduled rosters. This leaves 81 unaccounted for.
The carriage returns between 1906 and 1912 cover 52ft diagrams 7, 78, 107 and 123 of the XCG type.
The two XCG (3-4) to Diagram 78 had chairs in either one First Class compartment (No. 1039) or two First Class compartments (No. 3058).
Diagram 107 was a single carriage, No. 2761, XCG (1-5), produced in 1899 by the simple expedient in the shops of downgrading two First Class compartments of a newbuild Diagram 7 XCG (3-4) and refitting with Third Class seating.
The Diagram 123 was an elliptical roof version of XCG (3-4).
These came to 142 carriages between 1910 and 1912.
There is no way to distinguish between Diagram 7, 78 and 123 XCG (3-4)s in the carriage roster.
If I have to speculate, I'd say that the Diagram 78s were at Harrogate.
Some XCG might have been held in sidings as spares or strengtheners (one explicitly so at Middlesbrough with a likely second one at Saltburn). Perhaps an XCG could stand in for an XC or WC as a strengthener. In my opinion there may have been significant numbers of redundant XCGs in the sidings for use as excursion carriages. the N.E.R. built carriages expressly for excursion traffic but these were not sufficient to cater for the traffic.