Tickets on sale Vistor Info What's New Shop Search the site FAQ Links Details for the enthusiast How you can join in or help us Contacts Navigate
Bluebell Railway Preservation Society web site Bluebell Railway web site
Donate to the Make Bluebell bloom again appeal
C&W - Stock Lists: Carriages & Wagons - C&W News - SR Coach Group - Goods Division - Operation Undercover - Technical - Join us
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Email Newsletter

 

LCDR Coach 114:
Recovery of the body in 1977


Recovery 1

 

This carriage body, dating from 1889, had become part of a bungalow in 1926, and in 1977 the site was going to be demolished to make way for the enlargement of a neighbouring petrol station. The Bluebell Railway was offered the body in exchange for helping to clear the site.

Left: The Carriage Body is exposed following demolition of the bungalow into which it was built.


Recovery 2

 

 

Right: The carriage body is prepared for removal.

Recovery 3

The body had survived remarkably intact, with the principal areas where the structure was missing being at the brake end where a picture window had been cut into the end, and where part of the doors and bottom-side timber had been cut away to accommodate a fire-place.

Left: The carriage body manouvered alongside the lorry. Note the large window cut in the end of the coach. The smaller windows on either side are the original guard's windows.


Recovery 4

 

 

Right: Note the fire-place cut into the guards doors on the left.

Recovery 5

 

 

Left: The body has been slid sideways onto the bed of the lorry.


Thumbnail
 

Right: Ready for the journey to Horsted Keynes.

On arrival at Horsted Keynes, the body was placed on a wagon underframe, and stored under cover in the carriage shed. It was to be another 21 years before restoration work started on the coach, and an underframe prepared to carry it.

The story of the restoration is taken up on the web page for the coach.

splash The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
Return to BRPS Home Page, to the Timetable or to Special Events
Carriages & Wagons - Intro - Development - Stock Lists: Carriages & Wagons - Carriage Fleet Review - Join us
C&W Works News - SR Coach Group - Goods Division - Operation Undercover - Carriage Shop - Technical Pages
Visitor Info. - Museum - Trust - Catering - Contacts - What's New - Projects - Locos - Carriages & Wagons - Signals - History - Other - Links - Search - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member?     -     Get more involved as a Volunteer

Your ideal Film/TV location?

Valid HTML 4.0 Transitional! Page created by Richard Salmon on 13 December 2000 with thanks to Kate Saker.
Photos © copyright Phil Starnes.
© Copyright BRPS.             Privacy Policy