A railway carriage beloved of the UK’s World War II leader, Winston Churchill, has been restored to its former glory in a workshop in the southwest corner of the country. The newly-refurbished Pullman car No 246, otherwise known as “Lydia” belongs to a private collector but will become part of the heritage offer at South Devon Railway in Buckfastleigh, a manager there has confirmed. Vintage train trips and private hires aboard Churchill’s “favourite” are set to commence in summer 2025.
Much of the work to restore the historic railway coach had involved trying to find replacements for valuable fixtures that had taken by thieves over the decades. Alasdair Page, the railway’s customer experience manager, told press, “All the light fittings, all the table lamps, the door hinges, the handles… everything that was brass and shiny was unfortunately stolen.”
Art Deco luxury pieced together
The carriage, described as “a rare and tangible link to Britain’s wartime past and a symbol of enduring craftsmanship,” by a railway spokesperson, has a brown and cream livery and mid-blue upholstering inside along with intricate wooden inlays and Art Deco features that reflect the era of its original creation.
William Derbyshire, the carriage and wagon manager, explained that other rail carriages had provided the inspiration and hardware needed to complete the project: “We’ve had to borrow bits off other Pullman carriages to get them replicated. We’ve had to make up some bits in our own workshop,” he said.
Once deployed as a mobile HQ during wartime strategy meetings, the carriage is said to have played host not only to Churchill but General Dwight D Eisenhower as they planned for the D-Day landings.
A new lease of life
One of Lydia’s most important roles came after Churchill’s death when she was called upon to participate in the formal funeral arrangements. After a lying in state, a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and a final riverboat journey on the Thames to Waterloo, on 30 January 1965, Churchill was taken to Oxfordshire by train, and his family followed, travelling aboard Lydia.
Like Churchill, Lydia had an extraordinary life. Built in 1925, the carriage had been part of Europe’s first ever Pullman-type service, operating the Milan–Cannes route, before being adopted by the Prime Minister. After Churchill’s funeral, she was shipped to America in the late sixties, and went on tour with another iconic locomotive, the Flying Scotsman. Lydia remained at the US National Railroad Museum until her return to Britain in the early 2000s. Now, one hundred years after her maiden voyage, she will see service again.
