Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust - Heritage Carriages Project

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway passengers were very fortunate as they were able to travel in mainline carriages in miniature. These marvels of Victorian engineering, unique to Devon's premier narrow gauge railway were designed to offer visitors the best views of North Devon scenery from a train.  A total of 17 carriages were built for the railway and for 37 years they carried passengers through the lush Yeo valley and up and over wildest Exmoor.

Three carriages survived the closure of the railway in 1935; One (№1) regrettably rotted away at Snapper Halt and the remnants burned in the 1960's. Today two survive: №2 un-restored at the National Railway Museum and №15 now renumbered №14 and in a much altered condition operates on the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales. The remaining 14 were cut up and sectioned for use as sheds, summer houses, stores and in one case a garage or simply smashed and left to rot.

Fortunately parts of several of the carriages have been rescued by the L&B Trust, and these fragments are now being used to recreate rebuild vehicles.

Imagine being able to travel through Exmoor's rugged beauty in a carriage that once carried Victorians to Lynton and Lynmouth. Well now you can! After very long and extensive restorations, five carriages have already been restored and are now back in North Devon - more will follow.

Brake composite №17

 

 

The completed carriage at Woody Bay April 2013.

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All 3rd centre observation №7

The completed carriage arriving at Woody Bay April 2013

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All 3rd brake №16

Back at Woody Bay in September 2013.

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7 compartment all 3rd №11

Arrived at Woody Bay April 22nd 2015

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6 compartment composite №5

All loaded and ready to go August 13th 2019.

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With restoration of five carriages now complete and back home on Exmoor - in Essex....

....work is now concentrated on Van №23.

The next carriage to be rebuilt will be Carriage №1 a Brake Composite which is the twin to №2 above.

We intend to to restore several more carriages so please assist us in achieving our objectives - just click on the image below to make a contribution.

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Photo Credits

B&W: HL Hopwood © Ken Nunn Collection Loco Club of Great Britain, JB Sherlock, RL Knight.
Colour: Michael Bishop, Norman Willsher, Judy Williams and Jon Pain