South Eastern & Chatham Railway
"Birdcage" 2nd/3rd Lav Brake No.1084
(built in 1910), later Southern Railway No.3363

Left: In the works, restoration nearing completion - March 2009 (David Chappell)
Right: DS22 photographed in May 1998 at Wittersham Road just prior to its removal to Robertsbridge, and 18 months before its arrival on the Bluebell Railway (Jeremy Ovenden)

This coach, with its distinctive raised guard's lookout, called a birdcage, was built as a 2nd/3rd composite, later becoming all-third. There were two lavatories, one accessible from one of the two second class compartments, and the other from one of the four third class compartments. The body style is known as "Ashford Gothic", having the waist mouldings and the bottoms of the windows in the square, Chatham, style, but the eaves and tops of the windows in the rounded, South-Eastern style.

It had been thought that this coach had been built by Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Co., at Saltley, Birmingham, but evidence that it had carried an Ashford rather than a Met worksplate lead us to undertake further research. This was confirmed when the chairman of the The South Eastern & Chatham Railway Society supplied a copy of a document, based on an old carriage construction register at Brighton, transcribed by the late Denis Cullam in the 1950s indicating that it was indeed built by the SECR themselves. In addition, the SECR order book contains an entry for these six vehicles, dated 21/4/09 and initialled HSW (i.e. Harry S Wainwright), including the instruction "build at Ashford".

At least some of this batch of six coaches were intended for services from Dorking to London Cannon Street (via Redhill). It appears that No.1084 was not initially attached to a specific "set" of coaches. However, in 1917 it was formed, with 50' composite No.1063 and 5-compartment third brake No.840, into "Trio 'D' Set" No.128. After the grouping, this set was increased to 7 or 8 coaches, and re-numbered as Southern Railway Set 699. No.1084 was renumbered 3363 in January 1928, at which time it was probably also repainted into Southern olive green. Whether at this time, or a subsequent re-paint, evidence on the body noted during restoration showed that the carriage carried just yellow lining around the edge of the mouldings (without the black shading which was the norm for newer coaches) with the olive green.

Later it was formed as part of 'long' set 901, and post-war into long set 917, of which it remained a part until withdrawal.

After withdrawal from service in 1954 it was partially stripped internally and converted to a Gauge Template Vehicle, DS 22. In this form it had wooden spikes protruding from the body to enable measurements to be made of the clearances through bridges and tunnels. It was later fitted with a generator in one compartment, which involved plating over the interior and fitting louvres in place of the windows.

The photograph on the left, reproduced courtesy of Bob Wallace, shows it in departmental condition at Stewarts Lane in January 1977, and two from the John Smith collection held by the Lens of Sutton Association show it before the fitting of the generator.

Initially preserved, from 1978, on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, and subsequently at Robertsbridge, it has now been bought for restoration to traffic by Bluebell C&W member Trevor Rapley, and moved to Horsted Keynes. Restoration work started immediately, and is progressing well, although the magnitude of the task can be judged by the time taken! You can follow progress with the coach's overhaul on the C&W News pages.

The photo on the right (from Dave Clarke) shows the coach, with the structural repairs completed, re-united with its overhauled underframe, on 1st October 2006.

Trevor's intention is to restore the vehicle initially as Southern Railway 3363, in lined olive green, to match the two SECR "hundred seaters" and the LBSCR First, No.7598, the restoration of which Trevor also led. When the Railway's other two Birdcage Brakes are restored, it might then be possible for our 60' brake No.1170 to take the place of 3363, which might then be returned to SECR livery, as 3363 is the correct length of vehicle to match our other "Ashford Gothic" 50' Birdcage Brake, No.1061 on the other end of a "Trio" set.