London, Chatham & Dover Railway: No.668
28-foot 5-compartment 3rd (built in 1897)

The carriage body on arrival at Horsted Keynes, 18 October 2005
(both photos: Chris Dadson)

Type: Originally 6-wheeled Full Third, later Brake 3rd (SR Diagram 174)
Built: Longhedge, 6 Dec 1897
Original No: 668
Other Nos: 3188 (Jan 1907), SR: 3652 (Aug 1926)
Seating: 50 3rd class, later 30 as brake
Length: 28'
Original Weight: 12 Tons
Withdrawn: 28 December 1935
Preserved: 2005
To Bluebell: 18 October 2005

After withdrawal, like many other such carriage bodies, it was sold, without its underframe, for use as a domestic dwelling in Yarcombe, Devon, in the company of LSWR saloon No.25, where it remained, lived in, until the death of its owner. Its new owners were keen to see the carriages preserved, and once planning permission was granted for a replacement building on the site, made available to the Bluebell. The costs of transport were kindly covered, at short notice, by the Bluebell Railway Trust, and the move was coordinated by Peter Milnes.

As originally built as a full third, the vehicle is of great interest to the Bluebell, since our aim is to reconstruct a train of LCDR vehicles, and non-brake coaches are in short supply. It thus, potentially has a high priority for overhaul, to join Brake 3rd 114 on our train of Victorian 4-wheelers. Although built as a 6 wheeler, it may be more practical to restore it using a 4-wheel underframe, and indeed some coaches of this design were converted to 4-wheelers later in their life for use on the Isle of Wight.

The coach will be stored under a tarpaulin at Horsted Keynes, sitting temporarily on the underframe of former SR Bulleid coach 4035.