The rounded lines of the first examples built led to their nickname: "flying banana".

This system proved unreliable in service due to issues with the thermostatic valves employed.

19 onward abandoned this system due to its unreliability and because their revised specification demanded that they be able to haul steam-heated rolling stock.

The quantity of steam supplied could be varied by the driver to suit the demand required by a solo railcar, or plus one, or plus two, trailer vehicles.

This engine produced a lower brake power output of 105 hp at 1,650 rpm.

[1] An unusual feature was the external cardan shaft drive from the gearbox on the rear of a horizontally mounted engine to road-vehicle style reduction boxes outboard of the two axles on one bogie.

The 20 inch internal diameter cast steel brake drums were bolted to the inside face of one wheel per axle.

The system operated at a vacuum of 22 to 24 inches of mercury, stored in four reservoirs on the chassis.

1, made its first run on 1 December 1933 between London Paddington and Reading with a large number of press representatives.

Three days later this unit entered public service between Slough, Windsor and Didcot.

2 to 4, which were built with two engines (instead of one) which allowed them to reach a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), and included a buffet.

This was intended as a businessman's service; fares were charged at the normal rate, although bookings were limited by the 44 seats of the railcar.

[8] In late 2017, Dapol released an OO model of the streamlined 1936 Gloucester RCW railcars in a variety of liveries and numbers.