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Carriage Fleet Review - 2Pre-Grouping (Southern) CoachesThis article, the second in the series, deals with the coaches built by the constituents of the Southern Railway in the first quarter of the 20th century. The Brighton Directors' saloon will be covered in a later article. London Brighton and South Coast Railway Bogie First No. 142, (SR No. 7598) ![]() ![]()
Left: One side complete and in undercoat, August 1996
There is a separate web page for this coach, which was subsequently awarded the 2002/3 Heritage Railway Association "Best restored coach" award.
London and South Western Railway Lavatory Third No. 320. ![]()
LSWR Corridor Third No 494 ![]()
LSWR Brake Third No. 1520 (SR No 2975) ![]() Restoration has included the entire oak body structure being renewed or repaired, and re-panelled in plywood. The roof has been replaced, and the interior structure completed. Attention then turned to the finishing of the compartment interiors, making and fitting doors, and fitting the mouldings for the exterior. It was completed, as seen below, in 2010. See the LSWR Coach Project web page.
![]() South Eastern and Chatham Railway Hundred Seaters Nos. 971 and 1098 These two high-capacity suburban coaches have been the stalwarts of our fleet since their arrival in 1963. Roger Williams expands on their history in a separate article. Both have been in regular service, and are painted in the lined olive green of the Southern Railway, but 971 was withdrawn for what was expected to be a quick repanelling exercise in 2007, but resulted in its withdrawal pending more major work.
SECR Birdcage Brake No. 1061 (SR 3334) ![]() Known as the "Short Birdcage" to differentiate it from No. 1170 below, this coach ran in service for a number of years in the sixties and seventies. There is considerable will in the C&W department to see it restored at some point in the next decade. Structurally reasonably sound, but requiring work on its doors and panelling, it also has a complete, but partially non-authentic, interior. Reconstruction of the interior could be achieved by copying that in similar coaches which still survive complete. It is stored under tarpaulins. ![]() SECR Birdcage Brake No.1084 (SR 3363) ![]() ![]() Left: The first restored compartment, seen in 2006. (Dave Clarke) Arriving on the Bluebell in 1999 for immediate overhaul, this coach may eventually form the matching partner for No.1061 in our Birdcage Trio set. It had a virtually complete (but very battered) interior, the restoration of which is already under way, and the body-structure, partitions, floor and roof have all been repaired, and part replaced as necessary. Initially it has been restored as Southern Railway No.3363 (as seen below), to form the brake coach for our vintage set of SECR and LBSCR bogie vehicles. At a later stage it could be repainted into SECR livery to complete a Birdcage Trio Set with Nos.1061 and 5546. Details of its overhaul are available here.
![]() SECR Birdcage Brake No. 1170 (SR 3410) Left: 1170, as painted for a filming assignment Right: The raised guard's lookout, or "Birdcage" This coach was the last available birdcage brake from departmental service in 1982, and was considered the only chance to complete our Birdcage Set. It is not a perfect match for No. 1061, being longer, if only three years newer. It appears superficially reasonably sound, but would probably require considerable work on the doors, some of which have been sealed up for the best part of thirty years, and also the body, which is of mahogany rather than the more durable teak of the others. No interior exists for this coach, but, being of a plain design this should not cause any serious problems for its eventual restoration. It is stored in the sidings at Horsted, and for some years the roof remained waterproof so it was not tarpaulined until more recently.
The third article in this series covers our Southern Railway Maunsell coaches (1923-1939).
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