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South Eastern & Chatham Railway
3rd Brake (originally 2nd/3rd composite) built in 1909

This "Birdcage" Brake is seen here with "Fenchurch" during the time when it was operational in the late sixties or early seventies.

This coach, with its distinctive raised guard's lookout, called a birdcage, was built as a 2nd/3rd composite, later becoming all-third. The body style is known as "Ashford Gothic", having the waist and bottom of the windows in the square, Chatham, style, but the eaves and top of the window in the rounded, South-Eastern style. It spent all its days in service as part of a "Trio A" set, used initially on outer-suburban traffic, later on branch-line use throughout Kent and Sussex. After withdrawal it was partially stripped internally, and used as a staff transport coach for electrification work.

It was partially restored on the Bluebell in 1965 and put in a decade of service before withdrawn to await a major overhaul. 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.

Go to a photo of this coach as it is now.