SR 25 ton Brakevan 56120
[Awaiting
photograph]
Built
to a Southern Railway standard design (diagram 1579) in the early 1930s,
little is known of the main line history of this brakevan until it was
sold by BR to Littleton Colliery for use on the internal railway system
there. There were three brakevans in use to ensure safe working over the
four mile steeply graded line, but they fell out of use with the arrival
of airbraked wagons. When retired from Littleton number 56120 was preserved
at the Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum, being restored in Littleton
livery on one side and a facsimile of Chatterley Whitfield wagon livery
on the other. Upon closure of the Mining Museum 56120 was actually on loan
to Foxfield, but had to be returned for the auction of assets. At the auction
on 16 April 1994 56120 was secured at a high price, to keep it in the area,
and then returned to Foxfield the next day! It has appeared on demonstration
freight trains, although not so frequently with the mineral wagons since
the arrival of LMS brake 732444. The
owner completed a major restoration programme just in time for the Gala
Weekend 2002.
Above: SR 25 ton brakevan 56120 in the livery it carried at Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum
An
identical vehicle from Littleton, NCB No 1, formerly SR 56134 is in regular
use at the Battlefield
Line Railway.