Bulleid coaches

Such is the scope of this subject it is not possible to provide definitive coverage so we only aim to give a flavour of this stock. Only Bulleid's locomotive hauled stock will be covered in these pages.

Both the Southern Railway and the Southern Region ran the majority of its Bulleid coach stock in fixed sets. The formation of these sets could either be fairly stable throughout their lives or reformed seasonally (or indeed as and when required) to respond to changing traffic demands. (For further details of Bulleid coach set formations please follow this link to SEmG member Mike Watts' Bulleid Loco-Hauled Set Formations page.) or our own more general page on Southern set formations.

Set 897 pauses at Upper Warlingham whilst forming the 5:50pm evening service from Victoria

photograph by Keith Harwood

The two BSKs (4225 and 4226) in this set were built by the BRCW Co. in May 1948 being formed with CK 5783 into set 803. They were subsequently reformed into 7-Buffet set 473 with the CK going to 8-set 474, both sets being allocated to London - Ramsgate services. Following the completion of Phase One of the Kent Coast electrification the two BSKs were again reformed but this time into set 897 for London -Tunbridge Wells West - Brighton services. The formation was in June 1959: BSK 4225 (Bulleid), SK 816 (Maunsell), FK 7665 (Maunsell), SK 844 (Maunsell), SK 1160 (Maunsell) and BSK 4226 Bulleid).
For the winter 1959 service the Maunsell SKs were replaced by Bulleid ones, the formation becoming 4225, 41, 7665, 42, 43 & 4226. By June 1960 the Maunsell FK had been replaced by a Bulleid vehicle, 7646. The FK was once again replaced in early 1963 with a Mark 1 FK, 13143. The set was disbanded around October 1963.
From looking at photograph all vehicles appear to be Bulleid suggesting a date of circa 1961 (Where the set has been renumbered is still visible on the coach end). Due to the acute angle it is not possible to say which BSK is nearest the camera.

(Carriage notes from Glen Woods)

For more information on Bulleid coaches you are strongly advised to read the master work on this subject - the book "Bulleid's S.R. Steam Passenger Stock by David Gould published by the Oakwood Press - second edition published 1994 ISBN 0 85361 467 9 or the first edition published 1980 no ISBN".

S5718S is a Southern Railway built corridor composite photographed here at Clapham Junction on 15 November 1966.

photograph by Ray Soper

S114S is another Southern Railway built second corridor coach that had been part of Set 830, now disbanded, and was photographed at Clapham Junction on 15 November 1966.

photograph by Ray Soper

5768 is another corridor composite, built 1946/7. It was allocated to 3 car set 787 on western section services and was withdrawn in October 1968. After a long spell in service on the Bluebell Railway, where it is pictured here in the early 1980s, it is now in store pending extensive rebuilding to correct extensive rust and wood rot.

photograph by Colin Duff

Another view of 5768, here in BR livery at Horsted Keynes on 18 June 1993. That it is an early design is clear from its shallow window ventilators.

photograph used with grateful acknowledgement from the
Late Tony Dunkley Collection

All photographs are copyright

This page was last updated 22 December 2003