The design that became the standard
Southern Railway brake van was introduced in 1928 and
were known by staff as 'Pillboxes' . The design was soon modified
to diagram 1579 and detailed changes were made in later
batches, notably the use of distinctive '2+2' planking . No.
103 was built by the Southern Railway at Lancing in 1941 to
for the Ministry of Supply for Army use with the further modification
of external brake cylinders mounted on an veranda end.Of the
first batch 16 went to the middle east and the 103 is one
of the four to remain in the UK . A further 20 were built,
two of which served on Colonel Stephens' Shropshire and Mongomeryshire
Railway and came into BR ownership.
No 103 seems to
have been always based at the Longmoor Military Railway and
carried several Army numbers ,latterly AD49022 It was purchased
by the K&ESR in 1969 and in 1974/75 it was restored and
equipped for use as a breakdown van. It received a further
heavy overhaul in 1982 and ran for some years in SR freight
brown with SR number 56459. Re-entered service in July 2006
following a very heavy overhaul and repainted in BR livery
carrying the number of one of its ex Shropshire and Montgomeryshire
brethren ( M 360327).
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