Probably a reference to 'short-stage' coaches Hanson says " There were in fact probably as many is involved in the short stage system, where slower vehicles, usually pulled by two horses, filled in gaps at angles and even parallel to main coach routes. the largest number of short-stage coaches came to operate in and around London as the middle classes, growing in wealth and number, moved out to Suburbs like Paddington ( and beyond), and needed transport to their place of business. by 1825 there were perhaps 600 London short-stages making around 1,800 journeys daily, accounting for about 1/5 of all stagecoaches in the country." [Hanson, Harry - The Coaching Life (Manchester University Press, 1983) p 50]