Latest news with #SouthDevonRailway
The Independent
15-05-2025
- The Independent
Inside Winston Churchill's wartime carriage restored after 50 years
A historic railway carriage which once housed Sir Winston Churchill and General Dwight D Eisenhower has been restored after more than 50 years. Pullman Car No 246 'Lydia', originally built in 1924 by the Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, served as a mobile strategic hub during the crucial planning stages of D-Day. Its plush interiors, a hallmark of the Pullman Company's commitment to luxury, provided the backdrop for discussions that shaped the course of World War II. Years later, it was used for Churchill's state funeral in 1965. The team at South Devon Railway has meticulously returned 'Lydia' to its original grandeur, reviving a symbol of a bygone era of rail travel. "Built for the prestigious Pullman Company, known globally for iconic trains such as the Orient Express, the carriage is a rare and tangible link to Britain's wartime past and a symbol of enduring craftsmanship," explained a South Devon Railway spokesman. Starting this summer, passengers can experience a touch of history firsthand. 'Lydia' will operate on the scenic South Devon Railway line between Buckfastleigh and Totnes, offering a journey through the picturesque countryside interwoven with the echoes of wartime strategy and the legacy of a nation's leader. 'With its Art Deco elegance and deep political and cultural resonance, the Pullman offers guests a journey into the heart of British history,' the spokesman said. 'The return of 'Lydia' to active service represents more than the restoration of a rail carriage, it is the revival of a legacy that shaped the course of the 20th century. 'The South Devon Railway's recommissioning of 'Lydia' ensures that this unique piece of global history is not only preserved but reanimated for a new generation.'
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Churchill's wartime train carriage restored in Devon
A luxury railway carriage used on the train that carried Winston Churchill during World War Two has undergone restoration work in Pullman coach, named Lydia and originally built in 1925, has been in the workshop at the South Devon Railway in Buckfastleigh after being bought by a private Page, customer experience manager at the heritage railway, said the carriage was "Winston Churchill's favourite" and was chosen by Churchill himself to be part of his train during the said the carriage, which was also part of Churchill's funeral train, would be staying at the South Devon Railway. "This carriage was used by Churchill and [US President Dwight D "Ike"] Eisenhower for the D-Day preparations, which included travelling down to the West Country," he said. Mr Page added a lot of the restoration work focused on replacing brass fittings which were stolen a few years said: "All the light fittings, all the table lamps, the door hinges, the handles… everything that was brass and shiny was unfortunately stolen."William Derbyshire, the carriage and wagon manager at South Devon Railway, said it had been fantastic to get the chance to work on such a "prestigious vehicle".He said: "We've had to borrow bits off other Pullman carriages to get them replicated. We've had to make up some bits in our own workshop." Lydia was used during the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965, when his coffin was transported by train out of London to Oxfordshire where he was Page said: "This would have been one of the carriages that travelled behind the coffin."He said the carriage would be staying at the South Devon Railway for the "foreseeable future" and would be used on their trains for afternoon teas, lunches and themed evenings.
