The Heritage Carriages Project

The West Somerset Railway is a magnificent recreation of a Great Western Railway branch line. Fine GWR locomotives haul passengers in comfort through splendid scenery between delightful and varied GWR stations. Attractive and historic GWR signalling allows for ordinary services and exciting gala events. The WSR is now properly connected to the national railway network. And yet there is a gap.

The Railway’s carriages are exclusively British Railways carriages from the 1950s and 1960s. These are appropriate for the very end of steam trains in the UK but somewhat utilitarian and not at all “GWR” in character.

A total of ten wooden bodied carriages from the Great Western era have been kept for restoration by the Trust to create ultimately a complete train. Seven coaches are at Williton and three are in the West siding at Dunster.

Brake composite coach no. 6705, dating from 1938 is approaching completion at Williton and work has started on no. 3639, a Toplight coach of 1908 which was converted to an ambulance coach during the first world war.