25769 is one of three similar carriages that were bought to boost the service fleet prior to the opening of our extension to Kingscote (opened in 1994).
It was built for the London Midland Region who specified a seating capacity of 48 in a three-a-side arrangement in the eight compartments. The running number was subsequently altered to 18769 to eliminate conflicts and/or confusion within the TOPS/POIS computer systems. When BR was split into sectors, it was allocated to Network South-East.
NSE refurbished the carriage circa 1987 for the Euston-Northampton Cobbler service, part of the work involving altering the seating to its current 4-a-side configuration, giving a seating capacity of 64. The vacuum-braked sets on this service were quickly replaced with new EMU stock and the loco-hauled vehicles were transferred to Old Oak Common. Some of the SK vehicles were used to replace older, shabbier examples on outer-suburban duties from Paddington while the remainder were withdrawn.
18769 was withdrawn from BR service in 1990 and offered for sale by tender, with sister vehicle 18752. They arrived on the Bluebell Railway in September 1991.
Before entering traffic in 1992, the coach had considerable attention paid to its steel structure. The bodyside sheeting around the base of the door openings was removed, exposing severely corroded door pillars. These were repaired by welding in new sections of pillar. The interior of the coach was also "de-furbished", with the lighting converted from florescent tubes back to the original lamps. The windows and gutters were removed and re-bedded to keep the coach watertight. It is only by giving Mk.1 coaches such thorough overhauls that their long-term future can be secured.
The seats, in NSE blue and orange striped moquette on arrival, were (except one compartment) re-trimmed in BR "Trojan". In 2015 the coach, having hitherto run in BR(S) green on the Bluebell (as seen in Richard Salmon's photo right, taken in April 1993), was repainted into the crimson lake & cream livery which BR had stopped using 4 years before this coach was actually built!
In 2019 the carriage was withdrawn from service for intermediate overhaul, and some internal timber mouldings were stripped out, repaired and re-varnished. Later, the bogies and re-trimmed seating was swapped with 25728, to keep that carriage (which had received a more major overhaul on arrival at the Bluebell) operational.
In August 2023 this carriage was sold, leaving the railway on 6 March 2024.
The Diagram 146 (48-seat) and 147 (64-seat) BR Mk1 compartment thirds (second after 1956) were largely modelled on the equivalent Bulleid-designed carriage to SR Diagram 2019.
Type: SK (Second Corridor), Diagram 146
Built: 1961, at BR Litchurch Lane Carriage Works, Derby (Lot 30685)
Original No: M25769
Other Nos: M18769, 18769
Seating: 64 2nd class (originally 48)
Body Length: 64' 6"
Weight: 37 Tons
Withdrawn: 1990
Preserved: 1991
To Bluebell: 9/1991
Last operational: 2019
