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The Swindon & Cricklade Railway's Vintage Train Project Cambrian Railways 1st/2nd composite No 110 Believed to be the only Cambrian Railways carriage being actively restored for passenger service on a heritage railway. |
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| Background |
The Cambrian Railways Company was one of the smaller pre-grouping railway companies. Itself the amalgamation of five minor concerns, it served mid-Wales and a stretch of the Welsh coast. It was taken over by the GWR in 1922. Towards the end of the 1800s it realised that the growing ‘tourist’ industry offered a realistic opportunity for survival. The railway’s ‘home’ area had very little in the way of heavy industry, and, unlike South Wales, no indigenous coal traffic. Domestic traffic was never really significant. But it could offer wonderful beaches and superb mountain scenery. |
 No 110 arrives at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway from Hayle in Cornwall  All missing and damaged floors have now been replaced.  Four of the missing partitions have been rebuilt, using sound timber recovered elsewhere in the Vintage Train Project.  Thanks to a colleague with a good library, we now have much more detailed information from the later 1800s. |
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Carriage No 110 |
Carriage No 110 is a six-wheeled First/Second class semi-corridor lavatory composite with a separate luggage compartment. It operated as a through carriage between London and the Welsh coast, being worked as part of a GWR or L&NWR train before being attached to a Cambrian Railways train for the last part of the journey. Its arrangements meant that passengers would arrive with their luggage in the same vehicle, regardless of being shunted from train to train in the course of their journey. No 110 is believed to be unique in preservation. Built in 1894, it is probably amongst the last ‘prestige’ six-wheel stock built for the Cambrian. Two years later, the company was building bogie coaches for its Through Carriage services. |
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| Subsequent life |
Once sold out of railway service, No 110 was converted, as a ‘grounded’ body, into a holiday home at Hayle in Cornwall in 1934, and fell out of use around 2000. In this latter, abandoned, state it was heavily attacked by wet and dry rot but, with the basic structure largely intact, and in view of its unique status, it was felt to be well worth saving. |
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| At the railway |
Initial work concentrated on removing all rotten and diseased timber and applying preservatives. This left a largely empty shell with no roof, areas of floor missing and some main timbers to be replaced. Since then, minor damage to main timbers has been made good and new materials obtained for replacements. Main floor timbers have been replaced, and this will allow floorboards to be relayed. Work can then move on to rebuilding internal partitions. The Project is currently trying to find a six-wheel underframe to suit its 35ft length. As of December 2011 at least one layer of new flooring has been laid throughout with the second layer being added. Work has begun to replace the first of the partitions, and to refurbish external doors. As of February 2012 Floors are now complete throughout, and two internal partitions have been rebuilt. As of March 2012 two more internal partitions have been rebuilt, plus the cross-partition dividing the two lavatory compartments. |
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Project main page |
Cambrian No 110 |
Toplight No 7545 |
N London No 111 |
Taff Vale No 73 |
Brake No 422 |
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