Final Wickham Update

The Wickham Project took ten years to complete and lasted from 1994 to 2004. It cost Ł194,000 of which Ł129,000 came from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The two coaches were completely rebuilt mechanically and had virtually new replica art deco interiors built. The train is now in service at the Llangollen Railway in North Wales where it can be enjoyed by members of the public and enthusiasts alike. It is a unique survivor of only five built and is a credit to both those who built it originally and those who rebuilt it as part of this project. Here we present the final progress report showing pictures of the completed unit.

The Wickham unit entered service during February 2004 and is seen here at Glyndyfrdwy during one of its first runs. The high standard which has been achieved with the restoration can be seen.
The interior of the same vehicle has been rebuilt to the same high standard and is virtually indistinguishable from the original which was installed in 1957 and ripped out in 1970. Note the attention to detail - including the leatherette edgings to the seats and the "porthole" to the Guard's van.
It is hard to believe that this area was once a kitchen and that it is the same vehicle which is featured in the first and second chapters of this rebuild story. As with the rest of the Wickham much attention has been paid to historical accuracy with data being taken from original photographs and drawings.
This photograph shows well the replica art deco interior with its curious curved partitions and shaped windows. The seat material, a close copy of the original can be seen as can the troublesome luggage racks and curved seat tops.
Both cabs have been rebuilt to a very high standard and feature original features such as leatherette seat covering and varnished wooden door frames.
This is the completed interior of the first class section of the trailer car. Here the seating materials is a deep blue and the aluminium wall covering is a dark walnut colour - leading to a feeling of luxury.
Looking towards the driving cab of the power car it is hard to imagine that this is the same vehicle which was the empty shell featured in some of the earlier updates. It is a great testimony to those who have worked on the Project. The Llangollen Railcar Group would like to thank them all as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund, without whose help the Project would not have been possible.