photograph by John A Arkell |
| Southern 7598 is a 48 ft six compartment 36 seater first
class coach originally built for the London to Brighton main line and is an
excellent example of a Billinton arc-roofed coach. It has been wonderfully restored by the Bluebell Railway having survived between 1931 and 1989 as a domestic dwelling and aviary in West Chiltington. During restoration it was placed on a shortened ex LNWR 50ft underframe. It was re-introduced to service on the Bluebell Railway, whose expertise and talent for restoring coaches cannot be too highly praised, in May 1999. |
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Left: Roof detail of Billinton 36 seater first 7598 and
SECR 100 seater 971 at Sheffield Park on the 21st July 2001. Note the
difference in roof profiles.
Below: The bogie on Billinton coach SR 7598. The axle box carries the letters LB SC. photographs by Colin Duff |
| Fortunately for the sake of its wonderful livery job, 7598
was stabled in the shade at Horsted Keynes on a hot and sunny 20th June 2003.
photograph by Colin Duff |
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All photographs are copyright
First | 2nd
This page was last updated 21 November 2003