We are a small group of volunteers on the Watercress Line who own, or have shares in, three pre-1948 Southern Railway coaches
If you want to help us make a Vintage Train a reality for the Watercress Line please contact John Cook on 020 8699 6647. We particularly need volunteers with carpentry and metalworking skills, but anyone with generally competent d-i-y skills is most welcome, as is anyone who is just able to spare some time to help out on those 1001 tasks that need to be done. Finally, sponsorship would be most welcome, as would be the purchase of shares in either 4211 or 4367
Most of us come from the Croydon Regional Group of MHRPS Ltd. We have agreed a strategy with the MHRplc Board whereby we intend to restore three of these vehicles for marketing as a Vintage Train on the Railway. Our restoration activities take place at Alresford
Bulleid Brake 4211
Clive Fairchild writes:
| 4211 as returned to service in 1999
Photo: Clive Fairchild |
 |
This vehicle was built for the Southern Railway by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company to the design of O.V.S.Bulleid in 1947. It was formed into a standard Bulleid 3-car set, 796, together with another BTK, 4212, and trailer CK, 5776
Most of the set's working life was spent on the Kent Coast lines, until it was transferred to the Oxted lines in 1959, and then to the West Country
Set 796 became Western Region stock when the Southern's lines west of Salisbury were transferred to the Western Region in 1963. In 1965 the set was withdrawn from passenger service and the two brake coaches were then used as engineer's vehicles. At this time the seats were removed from the coach and it was renumbered DS70316
4211 was purchased from Bristol by the Mid-Hants Railway in this condition in 1975, and it arrived at Alresford in 1976. When the line opened in 1977, the vehicle was pressed into static service as a temporary buffet car in the cattle dock siding at Alresford. After a few years it was no longer required in this role and was placed in store. By 1983 it had been overhauled and returned to service as the Railway's coach for disabled persons. However, in 1985 it was withdrawn from service with serious water penetration through the roof
In 1986 the Croydon Group of the Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society decided to adopt the renovation of the vehicle as their project. Over the following three years members of the Group gave up their free time to work on the vehicle. The leaking roof was fully repaired, the interior was refurbished and the exterior was repainted in 1950s Southern Region green livery. The vehicle then re-entered service in April 1989 after being rededicated by Sir David Price, M.P. for Eastleigh, and it proved popular with parties of disabled persons
Following its withdrawal from service in 1992 for extended maintenance work, members of the Croydon Group formed the Bulleid Coach Group and purchased the coach from the Railway Company . It was repainted again later that year and the guard’s compartment was enlarged
In 1996 the Group rewired the lighting circuits, and installed seating from their other Bulleid vehicle, 4367, yet still leaving sufficient room for wheelchairs. Two folding tables were installed so that buffet meals can be served to private hire parties. Maroon Rexine was applied to the tables and to the lower parts of the walls
|
|
Interior of 4211 as restored in 1997 Photo: Chris Le Corney |
In 1997 steam-heating was installed in the main saloon and the seats were professionally recovered using the correct pattern 1950s chain-link moquette
In 1999 five perspex windows, installed as a stop-gap measure following breakage, were replaced with original curved glass. The vehicle was repainted again that year, the roof was re-covered, and necessary mechanical work was undertaken to ensure a safe return to service
The coach re-entered regular service in 1999 and was a popular performer over the next four years. However it was withdrawn again in the Autumn of 2003 due to severe wheel-flats. During 2004 discussions with MHR management indicated a clear need for the coach to continue in its role as a vehicle for passengers with disabilities. Consequently, at the end of November 2004, the vehicle was tripped up to Ropley where the bogies were removed and temporarily replaced with Mk1 accommodation bogies, before entering the shed for overhaul. The wheelsets were then removed for tyre-turning off-site
| The bogies await the return of the wheelsets from tyre turning
Photo: Clive Fairchild |
|
The opportunity was also taken to rebush some of the running-gear and to replace the brake adjusting gear with that from a Mark 1 vehicle. This will make it much easier to adjust the brakes. Some years ago we rewired the lighting circuits to operate off a stand-alone battery-charger system as the dynamo seemed inoperable. However, Ropley have made the dynamo and regulator box work properly
Considerable work was necessary on the fabric of the vehicle before it could return to service. Duncan Richardson, the railway's painter, concentrated on a full refurbishment and repaint of the exterior of the coach, repairing all panelling and doors as necessary
| The repainted vehicle over the wheeldrop whilst the dynamo is attended
to
Photo: Clive Fairchild |
 |
Group members worked on the inside of the vehicle. The ceiling in the small saloon has been replaced
| Extending the existing roof hoops in the small saloon to enable a properly
curved ceiling to be installed
Photo: Clive Fairchild |
 |
All the seating has been refurbished as necessary. Most of the wall panelling has been removed and that between the windows has been replaced with new plywood, with the grain running vertically to match the original end bulkhead material. Below the windows new rexine ("leatherette") material has been applied. We manufactured new table wall-brackets so that we can fit tables to the seating bays
| The refurbished main saloon, showing the collapsible buffet table, new
wall panels and the newly installed tables just visible in the seating bays
Photo: Clive Fairchild
|
 |
At the beginning of February 2005 4211 left Ropley fully overhauled fit for another five years service
Our small group of members have spent thousands of man-hours and at least £12,000 of their own money on buying and restoring this vehicle
Southern Railway Dining Car 7851
The final vehicle for the proposed Vintage Train is Southern Railway Dining Car 7851
|
|
|
7851 awaiting re-roofing in 1999 |
This vehicle was built in 1923 by the Southern Railway, but to the design of the London & South-Western Railway. It was used as a dining car on express trains from Waterloo until the Second World War, when it was converted into an Ambulance Car
After the war it was used as an engineers support coach. It was purchased for eventual use on the Mid-Hants Railway in 1977. It has been the subject of a slow but painstaking restoration over the last twenty years. Although it is a wooden-bodied vehicle it is now in very sound condition and is currently used as the Group’s stores vehicle. However, before it can return to active service, we need to source two corridor connections to replace those removed by BR and otherwise carry out a range of replacements and improvements similar to that already achieved on 4211
Bulleid brake 4367
The current vehicle under restoration is another Bulleid brake vehicle, No.4367. This vehicle was built by the Southern Railway at its Lancing and Eastleigh Carriage Works to the design of O.V.S.Bulleid in 1948
 |
It was one of the two brake vehicles on a sumptuous Bournemouth line eight-car set, 290. In 1966 the set was withdrawn from passenger service and the coach sold, along with two similar vehicles, to the Army at Long Marston. The coach was converted for use as an Inspection Saloon by having the brake-end corridor connection removed and windows inserted in that end of the coach. It was purchased from Long Marston by the Group in 1992 |
| 4367 shortly after arrival on the railway
in 1992 Photo: Clive Fairchild |
|
| The coach was then stored at Alton and was unfortunately subject
to extensive vandalism. The seats were therefore removed for safe-keeping
and were subsequently installed in 4211 (see above). Late in 2001 the coach
was moved to Alresford after a comprehensive Project Plan had been agreed
with Railway management. Restoration commenced in January 2002
Clive Fairchild, Project Manager, said "This project will be more challenging than the earlier restoration of No.4211 because of the vandalism that occurred at Alton. However, the Group have demonstrated that they have the skills and expertise to restore 4367 and we look forward to working in partnership with the Railway's engineering skills to this end. As with any project of this nature, we can move forward more quickly if more volunteers come forward” |
|
| Before we started:
Broken windows and the damaged internal panelling (in this case on the door) caused by vandalism. The rusted external steel panelling can also be seen and this will need to be replaced as will the window frames Photo: Chris Le Corney |
|
| The first year of rebuilding Bulleid brake 4367 | |
| During 2002 considerable stripping down of the vehicle occurred,
together with the replacement of many pieces of woodwork. The key
elements were:
All internal plywood panels removed to expose wooden framework; We were pleased to see that the wooden framework of the coach was in generally good condition although some support brackets would need welding attention. In May 2002 we visited the Suburban Electric Railway Association site at Coventry and acquired the seats from a trailer car in Bulleid 4SUB No. 4732. These will need to be rebuilt and reupholstered to suit Bulleid mainline stock. We also had useful discussions with Clive Holliday, the Railway’s Engineering Manager, regarding the work necessary to reinstall the corridor connection in place of the Army’s Observation window The arrival of 2003 saw the coach moved to the cattle-dock siding where we removed the rotten structural corner posts and carried out other preparatory work prior to installing the brake-end framework. The replacement framework had been acquired ten years ago from another Bulleid, No.2850, which had been broken up at Medstead by the Swanage Railway. It has been the subject of extensive refurbishment by the Group. During January 2003 Graham Varney from Ropley welded in the new support brackets for this framework. We were then able to install the replacement framework so that that end of the vehicle started to look complete again
|
|
| Stripping out the seats from Bulleid No.4732 at Coventry |  |
| Floorboards replaced in one of 4367’s compartments |  |
| External panelling and structural corner posts removed |  |
| Metalwork undercoated below solebar |  |
| Graham Varney welding replacement support brackets to brake-end
Photographs (2002) and report: Clive Fairchild |
 |
| The completed end framework |  |
 |
During 2003 and early 2004 we concentrated on a very lengthy programme
of rebuilding the wooden framework as necessary at the brake end of the vehicle.
Late in 2003 we purchased and cut (on Ropley's cutting machines) the first
sheets of replacement 16SWG panelling for the brake end. In May and June
2004 we installed the new external panelling on the end of the vehicle and
around the south side to the double doors and also built the hardwood surround
around the corridor area. This was very much a test run for repanelling the
rest of the vehicle. Most of the replacement fibreglass doors obtained from
Coventry have now been restored and the solebar is topcoated. We are in
negotiation with the Swanage Railway to acquire a corridor connection to
instal on the London end of 4367. This should arrive during 2004. Coincidentally,
this fitting came from Bulleid 2850 which was broken up at Medstead over
ten years ago
Photo and report (30th June 2004): Clive Fairchild |
| And finally, our two Bulleid coaches side by side for the first time
ever
Photo (Alresford, January 2003): Clive Fairchild |
 |
 |
Ivatt 2-6-2 arrives at Medstead & Four Marks station after the 3-mile
1:60 climb from Alton one-up: a special train for MHR Vintage Carriage Group
Photo (July 2002): John Bird |
How to join us as a volunteer at Mid-Hants Railway
Latest News at the Watercress Line
Loco Shed News at Mid-Hants Railway
Routine carriage restoration and maintenance at MHR
Return to Contents Page of Mid-Hants Railway Website
|
The Watercress Line, The Railway Station, Alresford, Hampshire,
England, SO24 9JG |
|
Copyright © Mid-Hants Railway Plc |
