Barrier Wagons

[Kirley]

Over the past years while passing York Road Depot I noticed movements of the De Dietrich Coaches were carried out with a Flat Wagon between the Loco and the Coach. Now a Gatwick Coach is used for this purpose.

 

My question is what is the need for a Wagon/Coach to be used as a barrier between the Loco and the De Dietrich Coaches?

[UP6936]

I'm not certain, but I think it is either because the DD stock is bufferless, or uses knuckle couplers, so a translator barrier is needed when a 111 shunts them

[Dunluce Castle]

I may be completely wrong? But when 111 hauled all the 450 classes to be scraped there was also 2 Gatwicks coupled up between the engine and the 450s to provide extra braking power.

So this may be the reason why?

I'm definitely not certain so I may be wrong?

[Railer]

It's because the 111s cannot be fitted with knuckle couplers for 450s or dellner couplers for the DD stock. The Gatwicks use drop head knuckle couplers at each end to allow the knuckle or shackle coupler method to be used. The Gatwicks are coupled in pairs by a bar semi permanent coupler though so thats why its always 2 used as a barrier. The single barrier wagon has a drop head dellner coupler like the one fitted to the 201s when the haul the DD sets. A 111 has to use the barrier wagon to couple up to DD stock. The Mk3 EGVs were also fitted with a drop head dellner at each end.

[Kirley]

Thank Railer for your detailed reply, mystery solved.