Railway Coaches project

Updated: Monday 23 May 2011 (Additional photos will be uploaded shortly)

Exhibitions, classroom, lecture space, tea-room

We have now acquired two Mark 1 Railway Coaches from Okehampton, Devon. The first coach arrived by road via Ferrybridge and West Woodburn on Wednesday 13 April 2011. The second coach arrived on Monday 18 April. We have posted two videos showing the arrival of the coaches, their unloading onto temporary tracks (laid by the transport company) and their 'jacking' onto the permanent track laid in March by Aln Valley Railway Trust.

First Coach Video here Second Coach and 'jacking' Video here

Following refurbishment and refitting, one coach will be used as an exhibition and learning space and the other will become a tea-room. The Heritage Centre will rent out the tea-room. Work on the coaches will start in April and is due to be completed by spring 2012. The coaches will be painted in the livery colours of the Border Counties Railway (maroon and cream). As part of this project, the Heritage Centre is appointing a part-time curator and a part-time education officer (see below).

The following photos show work in Station Yard:

Photos show the carriages in situ in Devon. Photos courtesy of C.A.R. Services

Railway Track

18/3/2011. Above photo: AH Next photos are by other Heritage Centre volunteers

The two photos below were kindly supplied by Neil Denham Photographer

Part-time curator, part-time education officer

The Heritage Centre has now filled these posts. Catherine Watson (Curator) and David Walmsley (Education Officer) both started work on a three-year part-time consultancy basis in May 2011.

Acknowledgements

Funding for the project has been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£173,600) and Northumberland Uplands LEADER Project (£39,486). The Heritage Centre gratefully acknowledges this funding.

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