Great Western Coffee Shop

The former Great Northern Railway station in Rippingale, Lincolnshire, was bought by rail enthusiast John Scholes and his wife Sheila in 1991.

(http://home.bt.com/images/station-hero-136406169859903901-160518151203.jpg)

A converted 19th century railway station ^ which comes complete with a train and its own track - is for sale for ^600,000 in Lincolnshire.

The former Great Northern Railway station in Rippingale was built in 1872 and closed in the 1960s.

It was bought by railway enthusiast John Scholes, 69, and his wife Sheila, 66, in 1991 after they both retired as funeral directors.

The couple have now decided to put the property on the market as they are looking to downsize and move nearer to family.

A 1924 steam locomotive on site can be included in the sale of the property, which also boasts the original railway platform.

(http://home.bt.com/images/trainkitchen-136406169868702601)

The property, set across 1.2 acres, boasts five reception rooms, four cloakrooms and three bedrooms and also offers development opportunities within the main house, the detached engine shed and barn.

Mrs Scholes said: ^We were very lucky that when the train station closed the building had been bought by a farmer next door who had used it for some time as a manager's house.

^This meant it was habitable and hadn't had lots of its features taken out.^

(http://home.bt.com/images/train-136406169860002601)

In lieu of a house warming, John invited 30 of his railway enthusiast friends over for the day to lay railway track on the former GNR Bourne-Sleaford line which used to transport Ribena blackcurrants to the factory.

The station - which served the Lincolnshire villages of Rippingale, Dowsby and Dunsby  - closed to passengers in 1930. The section from Bourne through Rippingale to Billingborough remained open for goods until 1964.

The house^s track was bought from a sugar beet factory in Peterborough and the couple forked out ^500 transporting it the 23 miles to its new home.

Mrs Scholes added: ^It's a lovely house in a lovely setting. Although it's in large grounds it's not isolating and Rippingale is a lovely village with a great community.^