| Illingworth will pull Victorian six wheel saloon coaches which
were originally from the North Eastern Railway and Great Eastern Railway. Saloon
coaches are open plan and lend themselves to picnic use. They are more
comfortable than compartment coaches. Such a train will be a unique reminder of
the Nidd Valley Railway trains and similar branch line trains which used to run
all over the country. |
Restoration of the first such coach has been completed. A Great Eastern
Railway 1889 officers saloon "No.14". It featured at Ipswich's 150th
railway anniversary last year and was recently awarded a special heritage
railway award.
Stephen Middleton's Grandfather was station master at
Ipswich during the second world war and knew the coach well. Stephen's father
joined the railway in 1948 and his boss, the district engineer used the coach
for inspection purposes. Coincidence and fate saw it's survival and Stephen's
restoration of No.14. |
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| No 14 arrives at a Burnt Yates Barn. | |
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| Restored and off to Ipswich |
|
The interior reconstructed using
original
materials | |
In the photograph on the right No.14 is behind a London and North Eastern
Railway B12 locomotive at Ipswich.
The coach is now at Mangapps Farm Railway
Museum in Essex having its' brakes repaired and should be back in Yorkshire in
1998.
Negotiations are in progress for two more coaches which are in a
sorry state and need restoring. |
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| No 14 in action | |
| 1 |
2 | 3 |
