Trust hoping to restore 136-year-old railway coach so it can once again operate on Bramley Line

BRAMLEY Line Railway Trust is appealing for help to restore a 136-year-old railway coach which operated on the Wisbech Branch at the end of the 19th Century.

The Trust has been offered the coach for free but it will cost about �1,000 to get it transported to a secure site where work can begin and a full estimate of its restoration cost made.

They intend to bring the coach back to full working order so it can once again carry passengers on the Bramley Line. David Bunting, Trust Engineering Coordinator, said: “If we have enough volunteers with the expertise and skills, much of the restoration of the wooden body work and interior can be completed here.

“Otherwise we may have to ship the coach out to a specific heritage restoration group to do the work for us. “Specialist heritage skills will, nevertheless, have to be bought in to restore it to passenger service.”

The coach was built in 1876 in Peterborough for the Great Eastern Railway and operated on the March-Wisbech-Kings Lynn line.

Trust Chairman Simon King acknowledged financing the restoration would not be an easy task.

He said: “We hope that the restoration of this coach will attract grant funding but we will still need to raise a significant part of the cost ourselves.

“We are grateful for donations of money and any other help to restore this coach.”

Anyone interested in helping with the restoration project or making a donation can ring 07951 769 180.

Details are also available from the Wisbech Tourist Information Centre and Wisbech and March libraries.