News - Saturday 21st May 2005
The Official Launch of Theodora |
The Kent & East Sussex Railway officially launched their most recent restoration achievement on Saturday 21st May. Pullman car “Theodora” built in 1926, originally ran on the London – Tunbridge Wells – Hastings line and post-war was used on the Ocean Liner expresses between London and Southampton. After five years as a buffet car the vehicle was withdrawn in 1963. Purchased by the K&ESR a year later, she saw service as a static buffet car but sadly had been out of use since 1986. With the generous aid of The Millennium Commission who part-funded the project and a considerable effort by the staff and volunteers of the Railway’s Carriage & Wagon works over the past year, Theodora has finally been brought back into service. The ceremony was attended by many of the staff involved in the restoration and praise for the finished vehicle which sat proudly in the platform at Tenterden Station resplendent in the early evening sunshine was lavished by the railway’s Chairman, Norman Brice and Mr Jerry Michell, Commercial Director of The Millennium Commission who also spoke of his pleasure in being associated with Lottery funded projects large and small. The restoration of Theodora is the third project part funded by The Millennium Commission, the others being the line’s extension to Bodiam which opened in 2000 and the restoration of the “Woolwich” coach launched in August 2004. By good fortune, the evening coincided with the AGM of The Pullman Society held in the facilities at Tenterden Station. Mr Charles Long, the Chairman, kindly agreed to perform the customary launch with a bottle of champagne and a few words. Press Contact: Graham Sivyer, Publicity and Sales Manager, Kent & East Sussex Railway, Tenterden Town Station, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6HE. |
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Photo by John Liddell |
Photo by John Liddell |
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Photo by John Liddell |
Photo by Phil Wood |