At the start of the 1930s the LMS abandoned the 'Small Engine Policy that it had inherited from one of its largest predecessors, the Midland Railway. The abandoning of this policy led to some of the most famous Stanier and LMS designs such as the Jubilee, Black 5 and Duchess classes. To accompany this shift in ethos, new coaches were constructed for the LMS, with the 57' coaches being built between 1931 and 1932.

These new coaches were steel clad, the first such for the LMS and had seating for 56, 300 such examples were built. In LMS service these coaches were painted in their striking maroon livery with LMS insignia adorning the side. The coaches, being relatively new at the time of nationalisation lasted well into the swansong days of BR, appearing in both its carmine and cream livery and later BR Maroon when BR decided to shift aesthetics back to regional recognition.