Carriage 6375 has recently completed a lengthy overhaul and is ready to run on the line again.
Originally built by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, 6375 is unusual in having a large central saloon and a mixture of First and Third Class compartments. When new, 6375 had three Second and four First Class compartments, two of which had their own lavatories. When the coach was transferred to the Isle of Wight, the two lavatories were removed and the carriage rebuilt to create the large saloon seen today.
6375 was part of the Island’s final steam-hauled service operated by British Railways on 31 December 1966 and was then bought by the pioneering preservationists. The carriage ran on the line for many years, but was then withdrawn pending extensive repairs to its badly corroded underframe.
Work has been underway for the last 5 years, requiring thousands of hours work by our restoration team, finally completed in November 2020. With its large saloon, its first use will be as a socially distant ‘grotto’ for our popular Santa Specials. 6375 will then be in regular use on the line during 2021 as we celebrate 50 years of preservation at Havenstreet.
Take a look at the photo record of the restoration, compiled by volunteer Derek Atkins – see HERE