Southern Railway
4 Cor (electric) motor coach No.11201

The 1938-built 4 Cor Motor Coach at Horsted Keynes, 20th January 2005
(both photos: Colin Duff)

This Southern Electric '4 Cor' motor coach is on display in Platform 1 at Horsted Keynes. The carriage is part of a complete 4-coach set owned by a company set up by the Southern Electric Group, having been bought by them straight out of service on British Rail in 1972. Initially it operated behind steam on the Nene Valley Railway, forming their re-opening train in 1977. It was later moved back to Southern Electric territory, and this coach has been cosmetically restored externally at St. Leonards, before moving to the Bluebell Railway so as to be on public display.

Visitors are able to inspect the interior, the first opportunity to do so since the early 1980s when the unit was withdrawn from steam hauled passenger service on the Nene Valley Railway. The coupé is complete. In the small saloon, one seating bay has been restored and all seats and panels have been replaced. Other seating bays have been arranged with exhibition displays to show the construction of the vehicle and different stages of restoration, together with the complete coupé (half) seating bay. It is hoped the car will be open during Bluebell Railway running hours at weekends and on public holidays. The only other 4 Cor motor car on public display is at the National Railway Museum at York, however museum visitors can only inspect the exterior there.

Type: DMBT 4 Cor electric Driving Motor Brake Third
Built: 1938
Original No: 11201, from unit 3142
Seating: 52 Third Class
Power: 3rd rail 660V DC, two 225hp Metropolitan Vickers traction motors
Withdrawn: 1972
Preserved: 1972
Owner: Southern Electric Heritage Limited
To Bluebell: 18 January 2005

Further details of the 4 Cor units and their history is available from the Southern Electric Group