Rail carriage used as cricket pavilion back on the tracks at Washford Station

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Cricket pavilion now back on the rails

A 27-year restoration project to bring a railway carriage back into use after it spent half a century serving as a cricket pavilion in Templecombe is to be celebrated this weekend.

The Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust will unveil the efforts of its volunteers at the West Somerset Railway's Autumn Steam Gala at Washford Station on Saturday.

LOVING RESTORATION: A railway carriage which was discovered in Templecombe having been converted into a cricket pavilion, has been restored by volunteers from the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust over the past 27 years.

The first class four-compartment six-wheel carriage was built at Highbridge in 1886 and taken out of use in 1930, before being whisked off its wheels and converted into a cricket pavilion in Templecombe. It was rescued by the Trust in 1986 and brought to Washford where restoration work has been undertaken by trust volunteers ever since.

Mike Beale of the Trust said that the carriage had been discovered some members who lived in the Tempelcombe area and recognised the pavilion as an extremely rare carriage used on the former Somerset and Dorset line. He said: "The parish council was happy for us to take it away as it was in pretty poor condition. After more than 25 years it is so rewarding to see the carriage looking so wonderful."

A follow-up article, also from the Western Gazette:

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Rail carriage used as Templecombe cricket pavilion back on the tracks at Washford Station

A Victorian rail carriage which spent more than 50 years masquerading as a cricket pavilion in Templecombe has made the return journey to the rails following an extensive restoration project lasting more than a quarter of a century.

The completion of the exterior restoration of the unique wooden-bodied carriage, after 27 years of painstaking work, was marked at a gathering of people involved in the acquisition and restoration of the vehicle at Washford Station, the home of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust, during the West Somerset Railway's Autumn Steam Gala.

ON LINE: Volunteers who have worked on the lengthy restoration of a rail coach, once used a cricket pavilion in Templecombe. Picture by David Williams.

The first class four-compartment six-wheel carriage No 4 was built at Highbridge in 1886 before being taken out of use in 1930 and the body converted for use as a cricket pavilion at the recreation ground in Templecombe. It was rescued by the trust in 1986 and brought to Washford where restoration work has been undertaken by trust volunteers to get it back on the rails ever since.

The carriage made its public debut in the Prussian blue livery of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at the gala.

Trust chairman Godfrey Baker paid tribute to the many volunteers at Washford and the involvement of numerous organisations and people during the 27-year restoration of the coach, from its donation by Templecombe Parish Council to the bequest from trust member Ian Morris who funded the final part of the work. He said: "It has been a long haul and during those many years many people have helped with the project, such is the length of time, many people have moved on.

"I know that volunteers do not get involved for the glory or even in many cases look for any recognition of their endeavours, becoming instead unsung heroes. The list of names is long and includes of course those that are no longer with us and unlike us able to glory in the fruits of their labours. Moving to the future, we have this coach to complete internally and two more waiting in the wings for their turn. We are looking at many options for getting the job done. It can be done and it will be done."