Hornby TT:120 SR Third Class Four-Wheel Brake Coach is finished in the classic SR green livery. This coach reflects the many four-wheelers inherited by the SR at the 1923 Grouping. Featuring Third Class seating alongside a dedicated guard’s compartment, it’s a perfect addition for branch line and local services.

History

These four-wheel coaches are typical of the type that was operating at the end of the 19th century and into the early part of the 20th. Introduced by many of the pre-Grouping companies before the more comfortable bogie-coaches became common place. 

As new, more modern coaches were introduced, the four-wheelers were often cascaded down to rural branch lines and where passenger numbers were much lighter. 

Some survived into the 1950s and ‘60s, by virtue of their relative isolation from the major centres of operation, while others found further use as departmental vehicles. When these small vehicles were retired, often their bodies were bought-up by local people for use as summer homes, but especially by farmers who found they made good chicken coops or storage sheds. 

The chassis from the coaches often found further use as goods wagons. Because so many of these wooden bodies found their way into private hands, good number have survived to be saved by preservationists, who have refurbished them and mounted them onto suitable underframes for use on heritage trains.